Man, who died in Onitsha hotel, murdered- Family

By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha

Family of the middle- aged man, who died in Jubilee Hotel Onitsha, Anambra state on January 30, 2019 has demanded a thorough investigation and justice over the mysterious death of their son.

Police last Sunday confirmed the death of the man 30 minutes after checking into the hotel with an unidentified lady.

But the family, in a petition to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, said their son was murdered.

It denied media reports alleging that the man died while on a sex romp with an unidentified lady in the hotel.

Counsel to the family, Stanley Udo of Ezebuilo Umeadi Chambers, Onitsha in the petition dated February and received at the CP’s office 4th February, 2019 said substantial evidences shown he was actually set up and murdered.

He said: “The deceased left his business premises at Ose Okwuodu market Onitsha by 5pm same day and a call came from his cell phone 12 minutes later to notify his wife to come and identify his corpse near Obanye/New Market Road.

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“When the brother to the deceased, Chidozie Idoko and others rushed to the place, they were directed to come instead to Jubilee Hotel by the same caller using the deceased phone.”

Giving further insight into the whole scenario, Chidozie Idoko said he met his brother’s lifeless body downstairs at the hotel frontage fully clad and not naked while the manager of the hotel could not give any meaningful explanation on the whereabouts of the supposed women that he allegedly took to the hotel.

He said there were injuries on the lips of the deceased while blood gushed from his nose up till the time he was deposited at the mortuary on January 30, ad well as on the 31st when he went back to check on him inside the morgue.

Alleging foul play and conspiracy to murder, Idoko further narrated that he discovered that the screen of his brother’s two phones went blank following suspected cracking by his assailants.

“The phones were so blank that it was difficult to even see his call logs,” he added.

He further alleged that the police who were invited to the hotel by the manager hurriedly released him without proper investigation.

Contacted, Manager of the hotel simply identified as Osita, said he could only speak on the permission of his lawyer.

Police spokesperson, Haruna Muhammed, on his part, said result of the autopsy report on the deceased was being awaited.