MURDER SO CRUEL- Headless
body of missing young man jolts family, business partner arrested
By JULIANA FRANCIS
Thursday, July 8, 2004
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| •Chidi Okoronkwo |
| Sun News Publishing |
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Detectives at the State Criminal Investigation Department
(SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos are trying to unravel the mysterious
death of a man, whose body was found without a head.
Chidi Okoronkwo, 28, was said to have attended a Tuesday church
meeting with his friend, Julius Okorosun, at the Lord's Chosen
and Charismatic Revival Movement on May 25.
After his family had waited endlessly for his return, they
contacted Okorosun, who claimed he saw Chidi off to the expressway
to board a mass transit bus.
His body was later found at Sanya bus stop, along Mile 2-Oshodi
expressway, after one week, with the head and legs missing.
"Immediately my younger brother saw the corpse, he knew
it was Chidi," his in-law, Mr. Eddy Nwimazu, said.
Nwimazu said people in the area told him that the identity
card found on Okoronkwo had his name and passport photograph.
"People saw an identity card which an unknown woman picked
up and disappeared."
He was also informed how a man, whose identify could not be
ascertained, search the body.
According to him, only Okoronkwo's friend and business partner,
Julius Okoronsun could explain what happened to the deceased.
Daily Sun gathered that the two had been in haulage business
since January, this year and have not less than N1.5 million
in their bank account.
Okoronkwo's Mercedez-Benz V-boot car was said to have developed
a mechanical fault, making him park the vehicle on the church
premises.
But Nwimazu said when they went to check the car, they discovered
that the seat was clamped down.
"We felt it must have happened during a struggle and
his wife expressed fears that he would have been killed, going
by the way the seat was clamped down.”
Nwimazu, who said he brought Okoronkwo to Lagos and gave him
the necessary assistance, said apart from reporting the matter
to the police, they went to the church to tell them the latest
development.
"We reported to the church's chief security officer.
We told him that the owner was dead and for him to keep an
eye on the vehicle until we come back from the station,"
he said.
He said throughout the period they were searching for Okoronkwo,
his partner, Okorosun, neither showed up nor phoned to inquire
about the progress made in the search for his friend.
"Whenever he was called on phone, it was always switched
off." But on the day the headless body was found, Nwimazu,
who was writing a statement at the state police station, tried
his line. Okorosun picked the phone and confirmed that the
church had informed him about the death of his friend.
"I told him that I needed to see him face-to-face for
discussions. I told him to meet me at my office at Ojo Road,"
he said.
Okorosun was said to have later showed up with two other men,
having been picked up by the police.
A source disclosed that at about 6.30p.m Okoronkwo, Okorosun
and one Emeka were seen at the Tin-Can Coconut area.
Nwimazu expressed surprise that in spite of the fact that
the church was aware of the problem on ground, members moved
Okoronkwo’s vehicle to the police station, claming that
it was an abandoned car.
It was discovered this time that car door had been forced
open. "Who had the spare key to the car? How did they
open the doors? Chidi, being an intelligent person, would
not have left his car unlocked and went home in a public transport,"
he argued.
Attempts by Daily Sun to see The Lord's Chosen Charismatic
Revival Movements Chief Security Officer proved abortive.
Meanwhile, detectives at SCID, Panti, Yaba have vowed to get
to the root of the matter.
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