Missing Abuja Lady: Group Calls For Arrest Of Lagos Lawyer

A civil society organisation, Coalition against Crime (CAC) has called on Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to arrest a Lagos-lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye to explain his role in the controversial disappearance of an Abuja-based woman, Charity Aiyedogbon.

National Coordinator of the group, Harrison Pepple, who made the call while addressing newsmen in Abuja, expressed reservation over the inability of the Police to arrest Mr. Ugwuonye on the matter, arguing that he has some questions to answer.

“Recall that one Charity Aiyedogbon was declared missing on social media. She is said to have been missing since the 11^th of May, 2016 and family, friends and security agencies have been working round the clock to unravel the mystery behind her sudden disappearance. However, one Emeka Ugwuonye, a Lagos-based lawyer claims he has evidence that the woman is dead and was murdered. He has severally posted on his Facebook group, Due Process Advocates (DPA) and other Social Media platforms that the woman is dead. He also posted a photograph of a dead person, some parts of whose body was dismembered. In one of his posts, he wrote, and I quote him: “I now have overwhelming evidence that Mr. David Aiyedogbon killed his wife, Chacha. David has an idea of the kind of evidence at my disposal.” How can Police be looking for a missing person and someone says he has a clue and he has not been invited or arrested for explanations”?

In another post, Ugwuonye said, and I quote: This is the headless and dismembered body of Charity Aiyedogbon (posting a corpse on his Facebook handle). DPA has been able to identify this as her body within the limits of resources at our disposal. This body was discovered by school children on May 12, 2016, by accident in a remote area of Abuja, but which is close to Gwarimpa. The body was dumped at the spot, presumably over the night. DPA contact and resources had pursued the trace as to how the body was disposed. We are fairly comfortable with the information we have. There shall be further updates on the handling of the body.”

Continuing, Pepple queried: “Someone is missing and somebody says he has found the person’s corpse and has sufficient evidence that the person was murdered. Till date, no one has seen the corpse; no report has been made in any Police Station and we still say we are searching for the missing person. Is the right thing to do not to probe the clue given by Mr. Ugwuonye and his group?.”

He wondered why Mr. Ugwuonye has not been arrested or at least invited to show the Police both the corpse and his overwhelming evidence.

The group however urged the Police to take deliberate steps to unravel the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of Charity Aiyedogbon.

It would be recalled that her sudden disappearance has generated series of controversy, leaving many questions unanswered.

Reports say the missing Aiyedogbon walked out of her matrimonial home in May, 2014 and had lived outside her matrimonial home since then, before her disappearance.

Mr. Ugwuonye has on countless times, accused Mr. David Aiyedogbon, the former husband of the missing woman of having a hand in her disappearance, an accusation that compelled Mr. Aiyedogbon’s lawyer, Obiora Ilo to write him (Ugwuonye), demanding for apology.

The letter titled: “defamation of the character of David Aiyedogbon; demand for apology” and made available to our Correspondent, expressly states: “It is our instruction to demand an unqualified apology from you to our client through our chambers for the defamatory publications you have made of and concerning our client.”