Pandemonium has engulfed the entire University town of Nsukka in Enugu State after two unknown armed bandits murdered a 40-year-old female teacher identified as Princess Uzoamaka Onyishi, nee Ugwuokwor.
Onyishi, an indigene of Mbu -Akpoti in Isi- Uzo local government area of the state was reportedly killed on her way back from the capital city where she had gone for the swearing- in ceremony of newly appointed commissioners.
According to Vanguard, the slain teacher had accompanied one of her relations, Mrs. Eze, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, Mr M.E Eze, who was appointed Attorney -General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, only to be assailed by unknown gunmen, very close to her Uwani-Ugwu residence in Nsukka metropolis.
Investigations revealed that Princess Onyishi drove herself in a blue-coloured Toyota Corolla to the venue of the ceremony in company of her Kano-based sister, Mrs Ndidiamaka Nnaji.
A source who witnessed the incident said the assailants waylaid the deceased at a flooded spot on the pretext that they had a faulty motorcycle around 8:30pm when Late Onyishi pulled over to offer help by directing her head lamp towards the passable side of the road.
The rebels immediately pulled out a gun and shot the woman without making any demand from her and fled the scene thereafter.
It was gathered that the slain, a mother of five, was the daughter of the late traditional ruler of Mbu Akpoti, late Igwe Gabriel Ugwuokwor.
She was said to have also visited her first son, Chidera Onyishi, a first year student at the Department of Political Science, at the University.
Speaking about the tragedy amidst tears, the deceased’s older sister, Uzoamaka Nnaemeka Ugwuokwor, said: ‘’My sister just returned from Enugu where she attended the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed commissioners. One of our relations was amongst them. On arrival at Nsukka, she drove to the family house to see our mother, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor.
“When she was through with her, she went to see her son at the campus. As she was just driving into her house later, she met two young men carrying a motor cycle, trying to manoeuvre their way in the flooded area of the road. When she tried to evade the young man dragging the motor bike, another young man emerged from the bush, pointed gun at her and shot her, straight on the forehead. She died on the spot.
“Before she met her untimely death, she was teaching at Urban Boys Secondary school, Nsukka. She was the kind that hardly could hurt a fly. What prompted her killing still remains a mystery to the family that just buried their father, Igwe Gabriel Ugwuokwor. She was driving herself when the incident happened.
“She never joined politics for one day. Her only business in politics was to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed commissioner. The incident has been reported to Nsukka police division who promptly responded to the call put across to them when she was shot. Both the police and some clergy men assisted in taken her to Bishop Shanahan mortuary where her corpse was deposited.
“Presently, the matter has been transferred to Enugu state police headquarters. The gruesome killing of our sister has taken the family to a devastating point of agony, mourning, confusion and pity. She is the most endearing in the hearts of members of the family. She was humble, amiable and loving to the people that interacted with her. We are not suspecting any person for now,. Our only prayer is for God to bring out the killers of our sister. She was a mother of five, two boys and three girls. The first is a first year student at UNN, the second will be writing the post UME, the third is in SS 3, the fourth is in SS 1 while the last one is in primary five.
“We look up to the police to unearth the circumstances surrounding the wicked killing of our sister. We believe the police will stand to the challenge to fish out perpetrators of the heinous crime and bring them to book. We are equally appealing to the general public to assist us in our moment of grief to give information, if any, about the killing.
“We cry for help from any quarter to assist us fish out those that assailed our sister to death. We have sent messages across to various communities within Nsukka and beyond to report any suspected person to the nearest police station in connection with the killing. It was pure assassination as the killers never demanded anything from her, neither her car key, nor cash, nothing whatsoever.
The bereaved 55-year-old mother of the slain teacher, Lolo Josephine Ugwuokwor, who wept uncontrollably said, “The killers of my daughter will never go unpunished. It is too painful to me that my daughter was carelessly killed by unknown gunmen. I am appealing to the police to investigate and arrest her killers with the fear of God. We have reported to our community and everybody is waiting for the outcome of police investigation. I spoke with her immediately she returned from Enugu unknown to me that it was the last to speak with her before she went to UNN to see her son, Chidera.”
On his own part, Onyishi’s husband, Sunday Onyishi, 57, said: “The whole thing still sound strange to me. I still could not believe that my wife was killed like a common thief. We have been married for the past 22 years and blessed with five children.
“I am a transporter. Nobody has ever complained to me that she had problem with her. I don’t know why she was killed. When my sister in- law rushed to me and broke the news of her death, I rushed shouting, neighbours joined me, we combed the entire place but could not see the killers. Then we invited the police to see what happened. I am not suspecting anybody but the killers of my wife will definitely be brought to book. We moved in into our own building five months ago. Her killers did not allow her enjoy the house she laboured for all these years of hardship. I want the police to unearth the surroundings of her killing by faceless two young men”
