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Another Journalist Murdered
Written by This Day Monday, 26 April 2010
ShareShe cried endlessly, hysterically until tears could no longer flow. With her hands spread towards heaven, she screamed: “Take me to a collapsing house and let me die with my husband. This house is too strong; take me to Mushin or any collapsing house so that I can be with my husband. They have stopped me from going to see him at Ikeja where his body was taken (the morgue) so, take me to where I will die and be with him.”
These were the shrill words of Mariam, widow of Mr. Edo Sule Ugbagwu, who was gunned down yesterday in Lagos. Edo, a senior judiciary correspondent with The Nation Newspapers, lived at 39 Church Street, Banmeke-Shasha, Alimosho council area of Lagos State.
Struggling to free herself from the grip of sympathizers, Ugbagwu continued: “I want to die now or I will roll on the ground. Those who killed my Edo have turned me into a mad woman. Can’t you people see me? I am drowning by this big river by my side. But the people that did this will never know peace, their house shall be desolate.”
Ugbagwu’s gruesome murder yesterday came less than a year after the Assistant Politics Editor of The Guardian, Mr. Bayo Ohu was gunned at his Egbeda residence in Lagos.
An account by a member of the family was that the late journalist was going out with his wife before the incident. A few metres from the house, he told his wife to wait for him as he went back home after receiving a number of calls that some guests were waiting for him at home where he later encountered two fierce men who gunned him down in cold blood.
THISDAY gathered that he was shot at close range at about 6.47pm in the presence of his younger brother, Okloho. He was aged 42 years. He hailed from Oturkpo in Benue State. Ugbagwu joined The Nation on July 31, 2006. He also worked in The Comet newspaper, now rested.
His wife remained hysterical as at last night due to the heavy impact of the murder. Family sources said she screamed all through the night after the shooting and continued wailing even till yesterday afternoon. Friends and relatives had a difficult time calming her down.
She recalled that she and her husband left the house in the evening to do some shopping. They did not go out with their car.
On their way out, her husband received a call. She said she thought she heard him describing their house to the caller. He excused himself, asking his wife to wait behind so he could quickly get something from the house. She waited.
Soon, a car drove by; the occupants stared at her, then the car made an unhurried u-turn. Instinctively, she returned home to know why her husband had not joined her, only to find him in a pool of his own blood.
According to the account of the family, the last three calls Ugbagwu received were from 08033351048 at 6.29pm, 6.33pm and 6.46pm. He also dialed the number at 6.26pm, 6.28pm and 6.46pm.
Ugbagwu’s younger brother, Okloho, witnessed the shooting. He gave an account of what happened: “Around 6 to 6.30pm yesterday (Saturday), I was resting in my bedroom. Then by brother called me. I woke up to go and see him. As I walked into the parlour, I could not find him there.
“When I tried to ask where he was, whether he was outside or in his room, then two men just rushed in, two armed men. I think one was with AK47 and a pistol; the other one was with a pistol.
“They said I should lie down, and they were asking, ‘Where is the money!?’ I said, ‘What money?’ They said, ‘Where is the money, Where is the money?’ I replied again, ‘What money?’
“When I was telling them there’s no money, there’s no money, then Edo opened the door from his own bedroom. He asked me what happened. I said these people are asking me of money and I don’t know them. They were still saying where’s the money, where’s the money.
“Then immediately he shouted at them, and then there was commotion. He said they should get out of here! Then I heard gunshots; they killed him.
“They later said I should go into the room, after they shot him. When I heard no voice again, I opened the door, came out of the main gate. I saw a red car, it must be a Honda outside, driving away.”
Asked if they ransacked the house after shooting him, and where the wife was, he said: “I don’t think they ransacked the house. The wife was outside.”
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Command, Mr. Frank Mba, said: “It’s an unfortunate incident. It will be difficult for me at this stage to give details. We’re still gathering information. But one thing I can say is the fact that we have launched a wholesale investigation in this matter. The Commissioner of Police was personally here last night. The Area Commander was here.
“The visit of the commissioner was to underscore the importance we attach to this killing. It was to underscore our determination to get to the root of this matter and to do so quickly. I would say that it would be preemptive for me to give details for now, so I’d rather crave your indulgence that you give us time so that we can fast-track our investigation.
“As soon as we’re able to conclude our preliminary investigation, we’ll be able to address you properly. At this stage, we’re not interested in labeling this crime as murder, assassination or armed robbery. We’re interested in solving the problem.
“It is only when we’ve made progress with our investigation, when we have probably established motive that we’ll be able to describe the crime in concrete term.”
Earlier in a brief chat with THISDAY, the Divisional Police Officer of Shasha, Mr. Omoteso Adetutu, in whose jurisdiction the murder took place, said only the PPRO would divulge the outcome of any investigation. Adetutu said he could not offer any assistance as the case has been transferred to Panti. Pressed further, he declined comments directing the reporter to the state command.
Reactions have trailed the gruesome murder of the journalist described by colleagues as amiable and unassuming. The Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER) expressed deep shock yesterday in a statement signed by Mr. Seyi Fayemi, a programme officer with the pro-media rights group. He commiserated with the families of the deceased and the management of The Nation newspaper, saying that the killing of the journalist has once again proved that the media practice in Nigeria is at its peril.
“What ever might have been the cause of his death, the fact is that it was not natural, it was man-made meaning that it could have been avoided. This killing is coming less than one year after the brutal murder of Mr Bayo Ohu, the assistant politics editor with The Guardian Newspapers.
“We view this killing as irritating and a further confirmation of the fact that human life is not worth more than a cockroach in Nigeria. A government that cannot guarantee our right to existence, a police force that watches as the best brains in the country are wasted by the noose of the gun is not worth to be called a decent society.
“We must emphasise here that while we will be glad to see the police fish out the killers, we are almost 100 percent sure that the killers will not be found, since murder has become an organised cartel with the hands of the security operatives deeply entrenched. Abayomi Ogundeji, Omololu Falobi, Godwin Agbroko, Bayo Ohu, Dipo Dina were hacked down by gun men and their killers were never found, so there is no basis to trust the police high command and the Federal Government of the day since death of innocent citizens appear to mean nothing to Nigerian leaders.”
Also in its reaction, the Egbe Irapada Oodua (EIRO) strongly condemned the malicious murder of the journalist. “The killing of this journalist has further proved that Nigeria will continue to go down the dark alley of global reckoning until the country is restructured to guarantee self determination so that indigenous communities can find a solution to the problems of murder without clues which has become associated with the country,” declared Dr. Akinroju Olukunle, head of publicity, EIRO.
He noted that crime and high profile murder cases have been the trademark of Nigeria simply because the leadership does not believe in the country, does not work towards the country's peace and therefore does not even encourage the protection of the sacred values of human life.
“It should be expected that nothing will come out of the murder of this innocent journalist, because that is and has been the pattern since the murder of Mr Dele Giwa of Newswatch magazine in 1986. Since then more than 20 journalists have either been murdered, missing or died in circumstances surrounded by mystery. The lack of leadership commitment to the peace and well being of the people is epitomised by the lack of any price or dignity associated with human life in Nigeria,” Olukunle said.
The group called on the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to, for once, show commitment to the value of human life by immediately removing the Lagos State Police Commissioner, under whose tent three notable journalists have been murdered in less than two years.
The statement said Ugbagwu joined the company at inception in 2006. He had a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications and English from the Bayero University, Kano. Ugbagwu is survived by his widow, Mariam, brothers and sisters.
