A human rights lawyer, Mr Chinedu Egbugo, of Anthony O. Ejili and Associates, has petitioned the Enugu State Police Command to investigate and prosecute one Mr Ozoemena Nwaojobe of Nwaojebeagu family of Ozalla in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State following the death of one Emmanuel Asogwa, a trader.
In the petition, dated July 18th 2026, addressed to the state commissioner of police, Egbugo, writing on behalf of the deceased’s brother, Obiora, who is the complainant, wrote that Mr Nwejobeagu, of Shop C Line, University Market Road, Nsukka, allegedly committed unlawful acts which led to the death of Mr Asogwa.
Nwaojobe, in the petition, is accused of murder, criminal intimidation, forcible ejection, breach of peace, and trial by ordeal. The lawyer stated that the deceased rented and occupied part of a shop at Shop C Line, University Market Road, Nsukka, through the suspect, Mr Ozoemena Nwaojobe, who was the original tenant, adding that the sub-tenancy expired in June, 2026.
Quoting him, “Upon expiration, the suspect asked the deceased not to renew the rent and directed that the deceased and Obiora his brother vacate immediately. The suspect, acting as landlord, then told the deceased and his brother to quit but failed to serve any statutory Notice to Quit as required by law. On Sunday, 5th July, 2026, in the morning, the suspect brought welders to the shop at Shop C Line, University Market Road, Nsukka, and constructed a burglary proof around the portion occupied by the deceased and his younger brother, thereby locking their goods inside and denying them access.”
The petitioner added that later that same Sunday, 5th July, 2026, the suspect returned to the shop and “performed fetish rituals”. Quoting him, “He barricaded the entrance with yellowish palm leaves, tied a day-old chick, one blue and one white piece of cloth thereon, burnt gunpowder on the floor, broke an egg, left some fetish objects thereat and discharged a cannon gun, causing panic and breach of peace.
“At the scene, the suspect threw a strange concoction suspected to be a fetish charm on the deceased, chanted incantations, called on strange names, and boasted that he would use juju to drive the deceased and the younger brother out of the shop and that they would not survive it.”
He explained that the deceased reported the incident at Nsukka Urban Police Station on 8th July, 2026, where he made a written statement “clearly stating that his life was under threat by the actions of the said Ozoemena Nwaojobe”.
Egbugo stated that the deceased died in his sleep the next day after making the complaints. “Even after the death of the deceased, the suspect has continued to boast openly that he removed the deceased in that manner and will remove anyone else who stands in his way,” Egbugo claimed in the petition.
According to the lawyer, the actions of Mr Ozoemena Nwaojobe were contrary to the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, as applicable in Enugu State.
The complainant therefore demanded the Enugu State Police Command to take over and investigate the case “as a homicide matter and not treat it as a mere civil/landlord-tenant dispute”. He is also calling for the transfer of the case from the Divisional Police, Nsukka Urban Police, to the State CID, and charge Mr Ozoemena Nwaojobe to the High Court of Enugu State for the offence of murder and other related offences.
He also prayed the force to direct an autopsy to establish the cause of death and its link to the events of 5th July 2026, as well as ensure the immediate removal of the barricade and release of the deceased’s goods and those of his younger brother unlawfully locked in the shop.
The lawyer decried the alleged position of Nsukka Police Division “that death by juju has no place in Nigerian criminal legal system”, noting however that, “that has been the more reason they have not transferred the case to the homicide division of the State CID for proper investigation and proper charge, and have released the suspect on bail.”
He stated, “The dying declaration of the deceased made hours before his death in addition to the suspect’s actions leading to the death of the deceased is a ground for the suspect to be liable for the death of the deceased since the law in Evidence Act 2004 Section 40(1) looks at the acts and intention of the suspect and not basically at the rituals.”
He stated that the deceased’s younger brother “who occupied the shop with the deceased witnessed all the incidents and is the complainant of the murder of his elder brother Emmanuel Asogwa”. He called for a swift investigation of the matter to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The petition was copied the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Area Command Headquarters, Nigeria Police, Nsukka, and the Divisional Police Officer, Nsukka Urban Police Stattion.
(The Whistler)
