Two years after his son was discovered dead in a hotel swimming pool in Umuahia, Ephraim Onyeomereneche, father of the late Air Force cadet Emmanuel Onyeomereneche, has accused the Nigerian Military and the Nigerian Police Force of burying the case in what he describes as a “golden silence.”
Speaking to our correspondent on the eve of the second anniversary of his son’s death, Onyeomereneche claimed that the authorities have deliberately stalled the investigation despite conclusive forensic evidence indicating murder.
Emmanuel reportedly died on April 9, 2024, at Hotel Royale Damgrate, Umuahia, Abia State. His body was found in the hotel’s swimming pool, and the police initially presented the incident as a drowning accident.
An autopsy report dated August 18, 2024, signed by a team of pathologists led by Prof. M.A. Nnoli, ruled out both drowning and poisoning. The report attributed the death to “intracranial haematoma, skeletal injury (skull fracture), and soft tissue injury resulting from blunt head trauma.”
Despite this, Ephraim stated that no suspects have been prosecuted.
He accused the 82 Division Headquarters in Enugu and the Defence Headquarters of abandoning the case, despite earlier assurances from the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, that justice would be served.
He said, “It is surprising, painful, and unfortunate that the military is still conducting an investigation into the murder, despite the autopsy report and findings of clear, conclusive evidence of murder. Is the military hiding something, protecting someone, or being complicit in the murder?
“In a sane country, I shouldn’t be prompting them to do the needful and defend one of their own gruesomely murdered while still in training.”
He also questioned the silence of Abia State Governor Alex Otti regarding a crime that occurred directly opposite the Government House in Umuahia.
“The pain and agony of the injustice in how the murder of Chidiebere was handled both by the police, the military, and the Abia State government is excruciating,” he added.
Attempts to reach the spokespersons for the 82 Division in Enugu and the Abia State Police Command for comments were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
