From New House to Mortuary: Family agonises over killing of truck driver

Victoria Ukwu was full of joy on 13 August. Her husband, Chinedu Ukwu, had taken her and their children to a bungalow which he had newly built.

It was a wonderful moment for the elated couple who had long desired to live in their own house.

Mr Ukwu, a 62-year-old truck driver, had dropped off a few items at their new house using his truck before heading to Umuahia, the Abia State capital, for a delivery job.

The father of two had informed his 60-year-old wife that he would return the next day to celebrate their new house with her and the children.

He never returned.

Painful death

Mr Ukwu, while returning from the trip on 14 August, was hit by a stray bullet during a reported shootout between two police teams in the Alaoji Area of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.

As PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier, the shootout occurred between police patrol teams from the Police Area Command in Aba and another police team from Umuahia.

Residents claimed the operatives appeared to have mistaken themselves for members of the separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Ukwu hailed from Ikpeze-Uno, Arondizuogu, a community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, but resided in Aba.

In a statement on 15 August, the police spokesperson in Abia, Maureen Chinaka, said police authorities had begun investigations into the incident.

Ms Chinaka, an assistant superintendent of police, said there was “no credible evidence to suggest that police officers mistook themselves for members of IPOB and fired at each other.”

She, however, confirmed that “there was a shooting in that area, which resulted in the death of a civilian.”

‘Life has been tough’

The truck driver’s wife, Victoria, felt devastated when she was informed at about noon on that fateful day of the killing of her husband.

She told PREMIUM TIMES that life has been tough for the family since the loss of her husband.

She has two biological daughters with her slain husband, but they were also taking care of three children belonging to her husband’s younger brother, Maduabuchi.

Maduabuchi had moved his children into the truck driver’s house after losing his wife.

The late Mr Ukwu catered for the education of the five children.

His first daughter, Precious, would later get married, while the second daughter, Chinonso, recently completed her one-year National Youth Service Corps programme.

The widow, Victoria, has no job but hopes to get one after her husband’s burial.

“It has been very tough,” Victoria said, struggling to hold back tears. “It’s just like starting a new life altogether.

“When my husband was alive, we fed three times a day, but now we don’t.

“We only manage to eat through help from the family of my daughter’s husband and friends.”

Victoria, the truck driver’s wife

Children’s education in jeopardy

Victoria says the death of her husband has put the education of the other three children in jeopardy.

She told PREMIUM TIMES in October that one of the children could not start secondary school because of a lack of money for school fees, registration, and school uniforms.

“We are hoping to get help from maybe relatives,” she said.

On 1 November, Maduabuchi told PREMIUM TIMES that the children dropped out of school because of a lack of funds.

“We’re all in pain,” he said in Igbo language.

He appealed to the Nigerian government to compensate the family, including giving financial assistance for the children’s education.

What I saw at the scene of the incident – Younger brother

Maduabuchi, the younger brother to the late Mr Ukwu, was first contacted and informed through the truck driver’s phone that his brother had been shot dead.

He told PREMIUM TIMES that his brother was coming out from a restaurant in the area where he had gone to eat when he was hit by a bullet and died instantly.

Maduabuchi recalled that, on arrival at the scene, he saw the divisional police officer (DPO) of the Alaoji Police Division in the company of two police teams in two different buses.

He said some angry residents attempted to attack the DPO and the police teams but that he dissuaded them.

“One man started dragging their (vehicle) steering with them (police teams) before they ran away,” he recalled.

‘He was the eye of the family’

Daniel Ukwu, the family head, said the killing of his brother has caused “serious pain” to the family.

Daniel told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Ukwu was more than a breadwinner.

Daniel Ukwu, head of the family

“He was not just a breadwinner. He was like the only eye of the family. If that eye is taken off, you can imagine the implications.

“So, beyond his family, he was also carrying the burdens of his brothers and their children. There were some other dependents in our village,” he said.

“So, his killing is a tragedy.”

IPOB member?

Members of the family told PREMIUM TIMES in separate interviews that the police were still keeping the victim’s corpse as of 4 November.

Daniel said the police claimed they were keeping the corpse because they suspected that the slain driver was an IPOB member.

“They said they are investigating it. That’s what is delaying the release of the corpse to us.

“We have waited for them for more than two months to come up with their findings, but we haven’t seen anything,” he said.

He said the police had not visited the victim’s residence since the incident.

The family head further said the police were also blocking them from seeing the corpse at the mortuary.

“The last time the young brother managed to see the corpse was when the truck drivers association in Aba threatened to block roads if they were not allowed to see the corpse of their member,” Daniel recalled.

Widow’s appeal

Victoria said she wants justice for her slain husband, in addition to help for her and other members of the family.

She explained that her late husband was making plans to set up a fashion design business for their second daughter before the tragic incident.

“Even my husband had plans to fund her master’s degree programme, but now it looks like that dream would be on hold,” she said.

“I am appealing for two things: Justice should be served, and also, we need help to survive – myself and the children, including his brother’s children,” the widow stated.

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Police speak

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, Maureen Chinaka, the police spokesperson in Abia State, did not deny or confirm that the police accused the slain man of being an IPOB member.

“Investigation is ongoing,” said Ms Chinaka, an assistant superintendent of police, when pressed for a response.

“The police intercepted a situation where people fired. There was a shooting. We didn’t know who shot, and someone died.”

The police spokesperson argued that contrary to the family’s claim, the truck driver was not killed by a stray bullet.

“There was nothing like a stray bullet in that situation,” she insisted, suggesting that the victim might be part of the suspected IPOB members who reportedly engaged operatives in a shootout.