Who Killed Precious Chiedozie James?
By Sir Don Ubani; KSC, JP
Sunday (Afor) 16-02-2025.
It has been reported on many Social Media platforms that in the wee hours of Wednesday (Nkwo) 5th February, 2025 a very promising Nigerian Citizen, Engr Precious Chiedozie James, from Owaza in Ukwa-West Local Government Area of Abia State, which is the largest Oil and Gas-producing Community in Abia State, was brutally sent to his early grave by persons who are yet to be identified. The same reports also indicated that Chiedozie had just completed his course of study at the Faculty of Engineering, where he had studied Petro-Chemical Engineering, and was getting ready to be mobilized for the mandatory one-year National Youths Service.
The circumstances surrounding the heartless killing of Chiedozie appear to be opaque. No body has been able to state exactly what happened.
There are, however, questions that beg for answers. To start with, (1) what could have led Chiedozie to be out at that odd time of the day? (2) If the elder brother of Chiedozie is Chairman of a Task Force on illegal Oil bunkering, did Chiedozie accompany his brother on patrol that night? (3) Could there have been any exchange of gunshots between Chiedozie’s elder brother’s patrol team and probable illegal oil bunkers? (4) Can it be imaginable that a Community, such as Owaza, that produces Billions of Naira for Nigeria, extensively benefitted by Abia State, could be left so porous to the dangerous extent of not having any Government Security outfit stationed in the Community, that could have come to the rescue of Chiedozie?
Whatever it is, Owaza People owe humanity a huge debt of explanation on what happened to Engr Precious Chiedozie James.
In the same vein, both the Nigeria Police Force, and Department of State Service should do every thing within their capabilities to unravel the circumstances behind this dastardly act, unfailingly identify the murderers of this epitome of hope and bring them to book.
The leadership of Asa Development Union is required to convene an emergency meeting, following which it should write a Petition to the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, through the Member representing Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West Federal Constituency in the 10th House of Representatives. The same should be done to the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Senator representing Abia-South Senatorial District in the Senate. Needless to mention that a similar Petition should be addressed to the Governor of Abia State, and Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, through the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, and Member representing Ukwa-West State Constituency in the House, respectively.
This is one death that must not be left uninvestigated. Anything short of uncovering the killers of Chiedozie would give an unholy impetus to other criminal elements to conclude that there may not be any penalty for unlawful waste of innocent bloods in the entirety of Asa land.
May this heinous crime against humanity in general, particularly against Asa People, not repeat itself.
Sir Don Ubani, Okwubunka of Asa and Oke Amadi Gburugburu, is a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Abia State, Publisher of Equity Reporters.net, and writes from his native Asa land beautifully situated between Aba in Abia State and Port-Harcourt in Rivers State.
