Barely one week after the death of a young cadet officer in a hotel in Umuahia, another tragedy struck on Thursday, as a twenty-four year old student of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana, Ebonyi State, was allegedly drugged to death in Agbo Ibeku Umuahia North LGA by his friend on his birthday.
The young man identified as Chinedu Hope followed his friend, Dan after much persuasion to a hideout suspected to be a bunk operated by a drug barron, simply known as Yoko in Umuodudu Ibeku.
According to the mother, Mrs Stella Ogbonna, on getting to the place, Chinedu, since he doesn’t take hard drugs, decided to wait for his friend, Dan, inside his Keke, while Dan on the other hand, went inside the bunk.
After waiting for too long, he decided to go into the place to call out Dan.
“When Chinedu went inside, Yoko, Chisom, Chibueze, Celestine as well as Enyinnaya (from Umuodudu) were all in the bunk. When Chinedu got inside, Yoko (the operator, owner of the bunk) said that whoever steps into the bunk, must partake in what they are taking. But Chinedu doesn’t take ice, (otherwise known as methamphetamine or mkpurummiri) or jiko and he told Yoko he wouldn’t take.
“It was at that time that Yoko ordered them to tie Chinedu with rope. Dan assisted them to tie him on both hands and legs, threw him on the ground ; then they mixed ice (methamphetamine) and jiko, used spoon to open his mouth and poured the mixed substance into his mouth, while hitting him with hammer to make him to swallow it.
After he had swallowed all of the mixed substance, they took him to where they had dugged a pit and threw into the pit. He was struggling inside the pit with the rope tied both hands and legs as he kept shouting ‘my stomach,’ my stomach,” Mrs Ogbonna narrated.
She said that when they found out that Chinedu was struggling for breath, one of the people at the bunk picked up his phone and called a young man identified simply as Aham, and told him what had happened.
It was Aham that rushed down in a Keke to try to rescue him before taking him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
“I gave birth to Chinedu on April 18, 2001, so yesterday, Thursday was his 24th birthday. Dan celebrated his friend’s birthday with ice,” the Mother cried.
Also speaking, the father of the deceased, Hope Oluoha Israel, regretted that the family had gone to pay for the pride price of the supposed wife, on Wednesday, the dey before the incident.
He appealed to the State government and security agencies to do a thorough investigation into the matter and bring the culprits to book.
Also speaking, the twin sister of the deceased, Favour Hope, described her relationship with her twin brother as very close adding that as her twin brother, Chinedu never hid anything from her.
She maintained that Chinedu do not smoke nor take hard drugs and do not also keep friends except Dan, who is well known to them as a family friend.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Umuaha, ASP Maureen Chinaka said she has not been briefed on the incident, promising however to come up with the necessary information when received.
The deceased has been deposited at the mortuary while his friend, identified as Dan has been arrested.