A Nigerian from Imo State, named Wisdom Chukumerem, on his way to the United Kingdom (UK), tragically lost his life.
The 30-year-old man, originally from Awo Ommamma in Imo State, Nigeria, was fatally shot three times in the chest by armed robbers at the World Bank junction roundabout in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
While he was withdrawing money from a Point Of Sale operator, the attackers targeted the father of two and carried out their deadly act.
Speaking in Owerri on Monday, Shedrack, the older brother, shared that after the police provided him with the mortuary report and permission to proceed with the burial, his family was deeply affected by the tragic loss of his younger sibling.
Shedrack, visibly upset revealed that the armed robbers who targeted the Point Of Sale operator took his brother’s life, claiming he had alerted the police to the situation.
Despite his brother’s pleas to the armed robbers, insisting that he wasn’t summoning the police, his appeals went unheard, resulting in his immediate fatal shooting.
Shedrack, who is a businessman, recounted that his brother was declared deceased at Umuguma Specialists General Hospital, where he had been taken by the police.
He said,
“My name is Shedrack Anulika Chukwumerem. My younger brother’s name is Wisdom Somtochukwu Chukwumerem. He returned from abroad about three years ago. He had a house at world bank Area N And I was living with him in his house when I was driving a commercial service bus known as Bus Imo.
“But I relocated back to the village to start up a business. We are from Umuduru Isieke in Awo-omamma in the Oru East local government area of Imo State. At about 8pm on 10th August 2023, I received a distress call from his wife that my brother was shot by armed robbers
“So I drove straight to Owerri that same night and I was directed by the Policemen there to come to the Imo State specialist hospital and when I got there I saw my brother’s lifeless body and policemen were present there.
“He was married with two kids, all girls. He would have been 30 years on November 27. He ought to be traveling back to the UK by the first week of September before he was shot dead. So, the policemen told me that there was an armed robbery attack at the Umuguma roundabout at a POS stand and my brother was there to withdraw money eventually he was shot because they noticed he was on call and the robbers thought that he was trying to call the police against them.
“And he was shot in the left side of his chest. So I deposited his body at the morgue that same night. The policemen took the tally and told me to report the next day. He was my immediate younger brother. I’m 32 years old. He would have been 30 on 27 November.
“Now I have been compelled by the police at Umuguma Division to open a case file and I told them that I don’t want any case and I’m not interested in any case. They told me to open it even if I don’t want any case which I did.
“I went with them to the scene of the incident. It happened between 8 and 8:30 pm precisely. I have gone to the scene of the incident with the policemen and gone to the mortuary. They took pictures which I paid for. They told me to go to court and swear an affidavit which I did.
“The policemen at Umuguma Division transferred the matter to the homicide section of the State CID in Owerri which I did with money all in a quest to release my brother’s corpse for burial.
“And I was pushed to contact a lawyer. With the help of the lawyer, I have written an application to the CP for withdrawal of the case. The policemen are with the application which I submitted last week.”
Indicating his intentions regarding his brother’s burial and his pursuit of justice, he remarked: “After meeting with the IPO in the company of my lawyer this afternoon, the mortuary tally of my brother has been released to me. I can now bury him. But I will first take his corpse to a closer mortuary in my town to enable me to plan for his funeral rites easier.
“He was our breadwinner. My widowed mother is depressed. Our father died 20 years ago. His first daughter is three years old while the second daughter is just a year and three months. It is a very bad development for us. We are very saddened.”
Meanwhile, Henry Okoye, the state police spokesperson, stated that the decision to withdraw the case and the family’s wish to proceed with their son’s burial will not hinder the ongoing investigation process in any manner.
He affirmed that the police will persist with their inquiry, and once the culprits are apprehended, they will be brought before the court to face murder charges.