Destiny Ugorji
In my first episode, I raised several questions begging for answers over the missing Abuja-based lady, Charity Aiyedogbon. ‘Chacha’, as she is fondly called, was declared missing on social media by her Facebook friends. She is said to have been missing since the 10th of May, 2016.
The contradictions have not seized. Some friends of Chacha, believed to have earlier raised the alarm appear to have recanted. They are said to be at daggers-drawn with Maryland/Lagos-based lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye, who said he was briefed by same Chacha’s friends on the matter.
The conflict got to a head, when they engaged in a war of words on Facebook, even after one of them, one Pamela Nwansoh allegedly confronted Mr. Ugwuonye in a Police premises in Abuja over an obvious sense of disenchantment with his activities, alleging extortion of members of the public (in the name of looking for Chacha) using his Facebook Group, the Due Process Advocates (DPA). Ugwuonye had, via a post on the group, solicited financial contributions for his trip to Abuja to respond to Police invitation to explain himself over the case of the missing Chacha.
One of the ladies said to be involved in the search for Chacha, Viola Ifeyinwa Okolie, on the 14th of July made a worrisome post on her Facebook wall. Hear her:
“I left Nigeria on Sunday the third of July and transited via Dubai where I had an almost 24 hour stopover. My lines were roaming so two calls came through. The first was from Ifedimma Onwugbufor; the second was from Ujuaku. We were meant to take the search for Charity off social media and to the police stations, etc… I explained to her how I wasn’t around but she said she and Pamela Odera would take it up. I assured them I would follow through from whatever I was and hopefully, the mystery could be closed before I arrived Nigeria.”
“On Sunday evening as usual, an obfuscating post went up in the DPA. I was super pissed off and sent it on via inbox to a number of ladies. Pam called me and was distraught. You could hear it from her voice. She was tired of the entire charade and was going to the police station herself, what was the worst that could happen? She asked me.”
“When she got there, she called me on phone and was exceedingly disturbed. I will refrain from saying anything about what she discussed with me on phone, but I respected her carefully worded update later that day. God knows, if it were me that went there and with the antics some people were putting up that day, I would have torn out an angry update.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the lady Emeka mentioned in this update is Pamela. His accounts of his encounter with her are half-truths and whole lies. Again, I respect the fact that Pamela is trying to hold herself back and act with a lot of restraint on this matter.”
Also in a post on The Due Process Advocates on the 17th of July, 2016, Emeka Ugwuonye attacked Viola Okolie, making some spurious allegations. The post was titled: “How the search for Chacha took strange turns and her friends turn out not to be friends after all.” It reads in part:
“When the fight for Chacha started, it appeared that Chacha had some friends who were ready to support the effort to find justice for her. One of such Chacha’s friends was Viola Ifeyinwa Okolie. She published extensively, apparently searching for justice for Chacha. Then she seemed to be an ally of DPA. However, as the fight got to a crucial stage, Ms. Viola Ifeyinwa Okolie took a surprising turn and accused me of being the person that killed or disappeared Chacha.”
“To Ms. Viola I must say: No, Ma’am, I am not a suspect. I was in America when it all happened. I hurried back to Nigeria to lead DPA in the search for justice for Chacha.”
But, wait a moment: how did Emeka Ugwuonye get involved in this? Was he really in America when the incident happened, as he claimed? Available records suggest otherwise. In this day of Technology, it does not require rocket science to track peoples’ movement and communication.
Barrister Ugwuonye claimed to have been in the United States as at the time of Chacha’s disappearance and only came into Nigeria in June, 2016, after being briefed to handle the matter, but his call log betrayed him, showing that he was in Abuja on the 10th, 11th and 12th of May, 2016; same time Chacha is said to have got missing.
Information from private investigators and telecommunication service providers revealed that Barrister Ugwuonye made calls around Jabi area of Abuja, up till midnight same 10th and 11th and departed Abuja on the 12th of May, 2016. When confronted by the Police in Abuja with evidence of his movement, he owned up, thereby confirming that he has been lying all the while.
Ugwuonye had claimed in some of his posts on Facebook that the missing woman was killed on the 10th of May, and her corpse discovered on the 11th by School children around Gwarimpa area of Abuja.
Another worrisome development is that three key suspects earlier arrested by the Police in relation to Chacha’s disappearance were said to have been released at Emeka Ugwuonye’s instance. He claimed at the FCT Police Station that they are his clients.
Following his (Emeka’s) claim at the Police Station that one of the suspects, Joe, whom he also identified as his client identified a corpse he earlier displayed online as that of Chacha, the Police re-invited him (Joe). At this point, they (Police) had concluded plans to exhume and conduct a DNA test on the corpse to ascertain the veracity of Ugwuonye’s claims. Upon arrival at the station, Joe was brought face to face with Emeka Ugwuonye. He denied all the claims. First, he came with his lawyer, saying he neither briefed nor consulted Emeka Ugwuonye as his lawyer. Second, he denied ever seeing or identifying the corpse to anyone, including Emeka, insisting that he only saw the said corpse on Facebook, when shared by Emeka. No one accepted knowledge of the whereabouts of the corpse, not to talk of identifying it.
Recall that in previous posts on social media, Ugwuonye said:
“I have evidence that the missing Charity was dead”, directly accusing her erstwhile husband, David Aiyedogbon of having a hand in her disappearance.”
In another post, Ugwuonye said: “this is the headless and dismembered body of Charity Aiyedogbon (posting a corpse on his Facebook handle). DPA has been able to identify this as her body within the limits of resources at our disposal.”
As at today, Police sources reveal that Mr. Ugwuonye has not provided any single evidence to substantiate his claims. The only person he claims showed and identified the corpse as that of missing Chacha (Joe) has denied him. As a Harvard-trained lawyer of twenty five years, he should know better than anyone else that he that asserts must prove.
Another worrisome development is that one of Chacha’s lawyers, Barrister Nsikak Udo has recanted. Police sources say he has admitted that Chacha’s signature was forged. The legal consequence of that is obvious. But, what was his intention and interest?
Recall that Barrister Nsikak Udo handling a fresh suit filed by Chacha at the Federal High Court, Lokoja on 29th April, 2016 against 29 respondents, including her biological children and her former husband claimed she (Chacha) came to his house on the 18th of May, 2016 (eight days after her purported disappearance) and one of his staff accompanied her to Federal High Court, Abuja to sign and depose to an affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion filed along with the case. We earlier asked: how did someone who was declared missing on the 10th of May re-appear on the 18th and then disappear again? Today, that puzzle is solved and the lawyer has admitted that he lied on oath. Apart from him, is the Commissioner for Oath in that very Court free?
Now, where is Chacha’s car? It has been recovered. Two of her handsets have also been recovered- all in Emeka Ugwuonye’s home State –Enugu. Is it a coincidence that he (Ugwuonye) has been questioned more than thrice by the Police in Chacha’s case? Is it also a coincidence that Chacha’s ‘friends’ that are in the same business of ‘searching for Chacha’ are now at war with him? What is Ugwuonye’s actual relationship with one Jekwu and his brother, Iyke; Jo and Chacha? Answers to the above questions might be helpful in unravelling the mystery behind Chacha’s disappearance. What about Chacha’s parents and siblings-why are they going about their normal businesses? As events unfold, more facts emerge. While Police continues with its investigations on the mystery surrounding Chacha’s disappearance, people that have questions to answer must explain themselves.
In the next episode, I shall tell my readers how Chacha’s car and handsets were recovered, Ugwuonye’s confessional statements in the office of the Inspector General of Police (Monitoring Unit), his appeals to Chacha’s ex-husband, David Aiyedogbon and his lawyers not to sue him for defamation of character and other interesting developments in the matter.
As per Chacha’s whereabouts, a clue appears to be in sight. The law enforcement agencies are equal to the task.
Only time shall tell!
