Chinyere Awuda: Family of slain Anambra lady petitions police, alleges cover-up

 The family of Miss Chinyere Awuda, the lady, who was allegedly beaten to death in a club house in Awka, Anambra State, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Awuda was said to have been attacked by clubbers for picking up money being sprayed on a celebrant at Cosmila Hotel. Her body was alleged to have been dumped in an abandoned pool.

Family of the deceased, led by her father, Mr Patrick Awuda, who was represented by Rigota Chambers, alleged that there was a plan to cover up the death of his daughter by the celebrant, the hotel and some police officers.

Part of the petition sent to the Commissioner of Police stated that the investigating police officer of ‘B’ Division, where the matter was being investigated, has been trying to coerce the family into accepting an amicable settlement, without accepting that their daughter was gruesomely murdered and dumped in the abandoned pool.

The hotel had alleged that Awuda stole from the celebrants and ran out of the club, and mistakenly fell into the abandoned pool and drowned. But the family insisted that she had bruises all over her body when she was removed from the pool, and that police stopped the family from taking pictures of bruises on her body.

The lawyers, acting on behalf of the family in the petition, said: “The inability of the hotel management to provide a comprehensive CCTV video of what happened, both inside the club where the beating started and outside the club where the actual murder occurred, left more questions to be answered and uncovered.

“The investigating officer at the B Division, the suspects, and the Hotel Management were coaxing the deceased family members to accept settlement prior to conclusion of the investigation.

“We, therefore, humbly pray that you use your good offices to direct a thorough investigation of the crime and the suspects.

“To seal the said crime scene pending the outcome of the thorough investigation for the sake of public conscience.

“To further arrest, detain and prosecute all other suspects, as shown by the CCTV clip already in police custody, to forestall future occurrences of violence of this nature.”