A former chairman of the Nigeriian Bar Association, Owerri Branch,.N.H. Nwankwo Esq, has been assassinated.
Nwankwo was reportedly killed in his office in Owerri the Imo capital ,on Saturday with his head severely cut.
In a statement ,the Secretary of the NBA, Owerri Branch,Chinedu Agu said he was on his way to mass for 8.a.m on Sunday when he received a call from the Chairman of the Bar,J.l Ogamba Esq asking him to liase with the former Secretary of the Bar, Ishmael Nkwocha Esq, to take police to N.H. Nwankwo & Co at 43 school road, Owerri, to ascertain the safety of the Nwankwo who left home for work on Saturday (Yesterday) and had yet returned
Agu said prior to the call, Nkwocha who shared the same office with Nwankwo had in response to frantic calls from his family members over the whereabout of Nwankwo, gone to his office to meet him.
” On opening the entrance door,he met Nwankwo’s main office locked and with traces of blood in the door to his ( Nwankwo’s) office.
” Not very sure of the situation,he went to the Homicide Section of the State CID going with him Forensic experts from the Police Headquarters to the office to have it properly opened by themselves in order not to contaminate evidential materials.
“When the forensic experts arrived at 9.56.hrs, with their gadgets, they opened the door only for us to find his bulky frame lying lifeless inside his office in a pool of his congealed blood.
” On a closer inspection, Nwankwo appeared to have been savagely matchetted by the assailant,as a very gaping cut was seen on his neck,a monstrous cut of not less than of about 39 cm with only about less than 50 percent of the flesh in the neck region holding the head.”
The NBA scribe said blood stains were seen on the roof, fans and computers which were on and other materials suggesting he was working when he was attacked.”A bucket of water was also seen in his office with which the assailant must have washed his hands and matchets used in the act “
“A search of the office revealed a matchet abandoned inside the toilet of his office with which the assailant was suspected to have used to cut off his head.”
According to Agu, when the deceased body was turned, matchete cuts were seen on his wrist and the footprints captured by the forensic experts suggested thatthe crime was committed by two persons as the footprints appear unidentical
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He said the forensic experts are still gathering materials while Nwankwo’s driver who was with him in the office in Saturday was no where to be found. Even the deceased phonesand car are missing.adding that arrangement has been concluded to take the remains of the ex- NBA chairman to the morgue.
