It
was a huge shock, pain and grief for the Oriohas that a wife who like
any other day, went to work but could not return, as she was roasted
alive in Abia.
The victim before and after the incident
A 36-year-old wife and mother of four, Mrs. Amaechi Orioha, was
burnt to death by political thugs while she was in her office at
Okpuala, the headquarters of Isiala Ngwa North Council on Wednesday,
November 9, 2016.
She was trapped in the office of the Chairman of the council where
she worked as a clerical officer when the hoodlums set the building on
fire and she burnt to death.
The deceased's 51-year-old husband and farmer, Emmanuel Orioha has
narrated the sad incident exclusively to Vanguard newspaper in tears,
and pointed accusing fingers at some prominent politicians from Ngwa
Ukwu and Umuha areas of the Council.
Below are excerpt;
How it happened
“On Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at about 11.30 am, I was in my
house resting after returning from the farm. I got a call from my
senior brother, Ugonna, who told me to urgently proceed to the Federal
Medical Centre, Umuahia, that my wife was involved in fire outbreak in
her office.
"When I got to Umuahia, I saw my wife at the emergency ward and
I could not recognize her because of the degree of burns she sustained.
I told them this is not my wife. The doctors who were doing everything
possible to save her life told me to call her as she was still managing
to speak. I called her and she responded. I lost control; it was like
the end of the world for me.
“After trying their best, the doctors referred us to the
National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where the doctors told me in
confidence that the chance of her survival was 50-50 because of the
level of injuries she sustained. Before then, I asked her if she
recognized the people that set the office on fire.
"She mentioned three persons, all of them natives of Isiala
Ngwa North. She said that three boys came to the chairman’s office with
petrol and one of their colleagues confronted them, they said that the
Transition Committee chairman asked them to buy it for his generator. ”
"Shortly after, the chairman came to his office and picked few
things and left. After that, one of the boys made a phone call after
which one of them poured the fuel around chairman’s office and lit it
up,” he alleged.
She pleaded for life
Orioha said that his late wife told him that she was crying and
pleading with the arsonists to allow her escape from the fire but they
refused. One of her colleagues died instantly during the inferno. He
also lamented that the Transition chairman whom his late wife worked for
did not come to see her at FMC or orthopaedic hospital but came to
their house after the woman died.
Why we are pointing accusing fingers.
Interjecting, his elder brother, Ugonna Orioha, alleged that:
“On October 19, 2016, some notable politicians from Ngwa Ugwu and Umuha
visited our community to solicit support for their aspirant running for
chairmanship of the council. They addressed us and some of them
threatened that if one of the aspirants, Ginger Onwusibe, wins the
election, blood will flow, that they will burn down the council.
"One of our leaders cautioned them over the statement reminding
all of us that it should not be a do or die affair. Now see what
happened about two weeks after. Our principal suspects
“Those people and the Transition Chairman are our principal
suspects in the death of our wife. We are ready to go anywhere and
mention their names. We are using this opportunity to call on the
Federal Government to wade into the issue of political killings in
Isiala Ngwa North. The Federal Government should do something about it.”
Continuing, the bereaved husband lamented,
“Now, they have also sent a letter of threat to my brother,
Ugonna. The life of our family is under threat. We appeal for police
protection.” He brandished one-paragraph letter of threat that was allegedly sent to Ugonna which reads; “Ugonna Orioha, choose to close your mouth or we shall come for you.”
He said it has been submitted to the police.
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