Chiemelie Ezeobi
As late Ugochukwu Ozuah began his journey to
mother earth, emotions ran wide and tears flowed freely as his widow, Joan
eulogised her late husband during the memorial service held on his behalf at
Kings College, Lagos Island, on Wednesday evening.
The 36-year-old engineer was allegedly killed by
policemen attached to Gbagada Police Station on September 20, barely five days
after his wedding.
To celebrate one of their own who died in his
prime, the head boy of King’s College, a school Ozuah graduated from in 1993,
accompanied by other senior students sang the school anthem with gusto.
In a tribute written to her husband she said the
mere five days of marriage were the best days of her life despite how brief it
was. She said, “Sweets, so it is true that you are no more. I cannot believe
that you have gone so soon.
“You were my husband, my brother, my friend and
mentor. I cannot forget that fateful night of September 20, when the police
shot you in the chest and left you to die in cold blood. It was like a dream
when the doctor told us that you could not make it.”
She added, “Baby love, you were a caring,
loving, God-fearing, calm and thoughtful man. Your desire was to make me happy
when I was sad and you were an awesome husband. The last words you said to me
before you left were, ‘my wife, my wife, I’m coming back in 10 minutes’ as you
drove off to drop your friend and never returned.
“My husband, you were a rare gem, you made me
have the wedding of my dream and I’m grateful for those five days we spent
together. It was the most exciting moment and days of my life.
“Sweet, sweet, it is true that death is
inevitable but the memories of your personality will definitely live forever in
my memories. I ask no questions for God knows best. I will miss you. I love you
sweets.”
The deceased’s eldest sister and spokesperson
for the family, Mrs. Nkechi Nnonyelu, in her tribute lamented that the same
hand that planned his wedding barely a month ago was planning his funeral.
She said, “I am sad because I planned Ugo’s
wedding and just a month later, here I am planning his burial. There is need
for reforms in the police force that would curb the incessant and unwarranted
extra-judicial killings
Earlier on she had said, "Our family just
lost the only son. My brother was intelligent and could have even become
president of Nigeria but his life was cut short. My mother had lost a son
before and just lost her husband.
"Police killings must stop and things must
change. The police need to start having human feelings and respect the sanctity
of the lives of the Nigerians they have sworn to protect."
In his tribute, one of the Vice Presidents of
the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, Mr. Rotimi Aladesanmi, flayed the
inhumane action of the police. He urged the Inspector General of Police,
Mohammed Abubakar, to ensure justice is done.
He said, “The association condoles with the
family and the King’s College community. We have heard testimonies about this
great King’s man and he epitomises all what should be in a true King’s man.
“It is evident that we have not only lost a
wonderful person but one who would have made immense contribution to the
development of the association. He was cut down in his prime.
“I seize the opportunity to call on the IG to
fish out the killers of this great Nigerian because it’s not just to pay lip
service and say that they are working on it. The attitude of the police has
been really unsatisfactory I must say and I recall the statement that it was
people in police uniform who shot him.
“Whether it was policemen or people in uniform
that did it, we do not care rather all we want is for the IG to fish out the
killers of this Nigerian because I say enough is enough to extra judicial
killing.”
Also speaking, the Postgraduate Coordinator,
Business Administration, of University of Lagos (UNILAG), representing the
UNILAG authorities, Dr. Olusoji George, condemned the deceased’s death.
According to George, Ozuah who was due to write
his final examination in Operational Research on Thursday (yesterday), was a
brilliant student who was very caring, adding that Ozuah’s death was a great
loss to the department because of the dearth of personnel in that particular
field of study.
He said, “Ozuah’s death is a personal loss to us
in the department and in his specialty; Operational Research. He would have
been doing his final year exam tomorrow (Thursday) but God knows best.
“Operational Research is not the kind of course
that just anybody can do. It is full of mathematics and statistics. There were
only 10 students in my class and Ozuah would have finished with a merit.
“Who in PGD did not like him? For his colleagues
to turn up for this event when there is final and compulsory exam tomorrow
(yesterday), it shows the kind of person he was.”
However, many faulted the reaction of the police
to the matter. According to them, weeks after the Inspector General of Police,
Mohammed Abubakar inaugurated a special police team from Abuja to investigate
the matter, nothing has been done.
The special team led by Mr. Chris Ezike, a
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), of the special team from the Force
Headquarters Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), had pledged that
the investigations and its outcome would be transparent.
While speaking to the gathering of the
deceased’s family at their home in Ikeja, the DCP said they were called in
because the IG wanted people that were neutral to the case.
He said, “The IG sent us here because we are
neutral and professional. Already, the police in Lagos have been fingered in
the said crime and it would not be right for them to act as judges over a
matter against them.”
In his biography, Ozuah, who graduated from
King’s College in 1993, was once the Sports prefect of the institution apart
from being the Sports prefect at Kings College, the deceased was Harman’s House
prefect, a position he was very proud of and bragged to all who cared to listen
that his son would not only attend his alma mater but also be in Harman house.
Ozuah, studied Mechanical Engineering at UNAD
and in 2009 proceeded to the Koenig Information Technology Institute, India,
where he studied Computer Engineering.
Others present at the memorial service were
members of the King’s College Old Boy’s Association, ex-colleagues of the
deceased at University of Ado Ekiti. Also, colleagues of the deceased from
University of Lagos, where he was pursuing his masters in Operational Research;
as well as the principal and current students of King’s College were around to
show their support.
To show his passion for football, Ozuah’s
Chelsea Football Club jersey, inscribed with the word, ‘Hugo 10’ hung at the
ceiling of the auditorium. The somber scenario was enunciated with the black
outfit displaying the deceased’s picture which many wore.
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