Five months after Ugochukwu Ozuah was allegedly shot and killed by a policeman five days after his wedding, a team of policeman, led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, on Sunday paid the family of the deceased a visit.
The delegation was led by the AIG, Zone 2, Mamman Tsafe.
Angry family members, who were expecting the police to tell them something useful, walked out when Tsafe only said told that the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, was committed to finding out the real killers of their son.
Many of them walked out of the meeting.
Tsafe said: “We have come to condole with your family over Ozuah’s death and we want to assure you that we are totally committed to unraveling the truth.
“The Inspector General of police does not intend to hide anything, which is why he constituted a team that would head the investigation.
“Investigation is not yet complete.
“Please just bear with us.
“We understand what the family is going through and I am surprised to hear that no police delegation has visited this family.
“This communication gap will be reflected in my report.
“I can assure you that the results of the case would soon be out.”
A few days after Ozuah was killed, a team of 12 policemen arrived Lagos from Abuja to take over the case.
Many people, especially family members of the deceased, expected that with their arrival, the investigation would soon yield result, but that hope is slowly fading.
The eldest sister of the deceased, Mrs. Nkechi Nnoyelum, who spoke on behalf of the family, said: “I am disappointed that this condolence visit is coming five months after Ozuah’s death.
“We have been kept in the dark all this while regarding the police investigation and no one from the police command deemed it fit to place a phone call to my mother.
“Instead we were the ones pursuing the police.
“We expected you would be talking about the arrests the police made last November in respect of the case and what is happening to those who are in police custody.
“Instead, you are reopening old wounds when we are trying to heal.
“It is only the truth that can help the healing process.”
Although Tsafe reiterated the commitment of the IGP to the speedy conclusion of the case, he evaded answers and did not state specifically anything pertaining to the investigation.
All through the discussion, Ozuah’s mother, Mrs. Chinwe Ozuah, and the late groom’s widow, Joan, remained silent.