Nsukka LG Chairman, Patrick Omeje Is Dead

The executive chairman of Nsukka local government area Patrick Omeje is dead.

According to reports, Patrick Omeje died early hours of Tuesday at an undisclosed hospital in Enugu.

However, the cause of Patrick Omeje’s death remains unknown as at the time of filing this report, although he was reportedly ill till his death.

Ekohotblog understands that Patrick Omeje was represented by his Deputy, Hon Cosmas Ugwueze, last Friday during the commissioning of two court complexes and roads in Nsukka by Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi due to his ill health.

This online news platform recalls that Patrick Omeje, who was re-elected and sworn in for the second tenure on March 2, was last sighted in public about two weeks ago.

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Meanwhile, Ekohotblog recalls that earlier last month The PUNCH reported that Patrick Omeje was allegedly accused of masterminding the death of a final year law student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka identified as Augustine Ugwu.

In the petition addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the family accused the officer-in-charge of the local vigilante group, the Nsukka Anti-Cult, DSP Ochin Nnamdi, of killing Augustine on the instructions of the Chairman of the Nsukka Local Government Council, Enugu State, Patrick Omeje.

The petition read in part, “On April 23, 2020, Augustine went to drink with two of his friends in a shop on Odobido Street, Nsukka, where one man, Emeka Ogbu, alias Mekeke, is the manager. In a swift action that happened not so long after they entered, a team of armed men in a black Toyota Sienna minivan with the inscription, Anti-Cult Nsukka Local Government, came and all the occupants came down from the vehicle with different guns: pump action and revolvers.

“One Oliver Ozioko, alias Oliver Plaza, led them and wielded a pump action in his hands and acting like a Rambo, entered the pub and demanded for Austin, as the victim was popularly called, but the shop manager demanded an explanation but they pointed a gun at him.

“It was noted that the Anti-Cult Nsukka Local Government was set up by Patrick Omeje, the Chairman of Nsukka Local Government, to fight political opposition and suppress people, who one way or the other, disagreed with his style and approach. The personnel act as his attack dogs.

“Augustine agreed to follow the armed men, but at the point of entering the vehicle that brought the men, Oliver pulled the trigger and shot him in the leg, causing him to fall. He was then pulled into the vehicle with his leg shattered by the bullet fired at a close range and driven away.

“People followed them behind as they drove to the anti-cult office headed by DSP Ochin Finian Nnamdi, who on sighting the crowd, chased everybody away, including lawyers, who were in his office to bail some suspects in custody.

“According to the information, DSP Ochin Finian Nnamdi shot and finally killed the boy upon arrival at the anti-cult office in cold blood and without recourse to the due process of the law. He then took him to an unknown mortuary to deposit the corpse.

“There were no charges in respect of any crime brought against the young man to warrant his killing, hence the need to establish a murder case against all the parties involved.”

The family, which stated that the action of Nnamdi was a calculated murder and extrajudicial killing, urged the IG to direct the Enugu State Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter.

When contacted, the local government chairman denied ordering Augustine’s killing, adding that the victim was handed over to the police after he was arrested by the vigilante team.