*Questions Over DPO’s Alleged Bid To Release Vehicle
*How Miracle Was Killed
*Driver, Commercial Motorcycle Operator Go Underground
*Community Leaders Hand Ultimatum To ‘Okada’ Operators
By Felix Durumbah, Abuja
There is a huge outcry in Karshi, a satellite town close to Abuja, the nation’s capital, over alleged bid by police in the area to release an impounded tipper lorry which crushed a young lady, identified as Miss Miracle Ebubechi Emmanuel, to death on 8 May this year.
Miracle was second in a family line of five daughters and a little son.
The tipper lorry, which is presently parked within the premises of Karshi police station, security and other sources told People&Politics, had been driven in such manner that it had killed at least two other persons in the past.
Interestingly, the police reportedly have a record of the vehicle’s blood-soaked history.
The manner of handling of aspects of the accident investigation by some elements of the police in Karshi attracted the ire of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner, Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, who reportedly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), identified simply as Mohammed, verbally tongue-lashing him over involvement by the latter’s personnel in negotiations leading to a demand for the sum of N90,000 by an external body to embalm the corpse of the lady.
The CP’s intervention, which followed a report made to him by some shocked community leaders, has been loudly applauded by residents of Karshi, who also saluted the ongoing efforts of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Taju Disu to sanitize the Force, citing the case of bad eggs such as Assistant Superintendent Nuhu Usman and others who were dismissed and are being prosecuted for the alleged extrajudicial killing of Citizen Ogidi Mene in Delta State.
The community leaders had reached the Police Commissioner to report what they strongly believed was an attempt by some policemen in Karshi to allegedly pervert the course of justice.
More pressure on the police for the right things to be done came, People&Politics learnt, when a top official of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)’s Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), a body popularly known as VIO, contacted the Karshi DPO to ascertain certain relevant technical details pertaining to the controversial tipper lorry.
The interest of DRTS in the matter showed an apparent widening of official concern about the issue for the sake of future safety of lives of FCT residents on the road following fears that, if released without due diligence on the vehicle, it could still be deployed in a way that will jeopardize other people’s lives.
How It Began
Family members told People&Politics exclusively that Miracle returned from school on Monday, 4 May –travelling in a commercial vehicle that did the snaky, over 500km road trip from Owerri, the Imo State capital, without any incident.
On Friday, 8 May, she got up early as usual, did the house chores, walked to a nearby feeder road near their residence and hired a commercial motorcycle (aka okada ) to take her to the market where her mother’s shop is, to get things ready for the day’s business.
Eye witnesses recounted to People&Politics that, as the motorcycle raced to the destination, they saw Miracle screaming at the okada operator to slow down as he was moving too fast for her liking.
And then the motorcycle approached a narrow bridge.
Just before the bridge, the road was dotted with gaping, jagged potholes, some tapering ominously, like an orb of doom, into the rock-filled riverbed below.
People&Politics, which visited the bridge for verification, notes that in front and behind the bridge are two horizontal bumps straddling the road and designed to make drivers slow down in order to cross the bridge safely.
Sources said in front of the motorcycle was a moving tipper lorry.
One of the eye witnesses said: “The okada kept speeding even when close behind the tipper. Then, the tipper, it too speeding, hit the bump.
“By this time, the okada was already overtaking the tipper through the right-hand side, a wrong side to do overtaking!
“As the tipper hit the bump, one of its tyres got lifted off the ground. It was at this stage that the okada put head to overtake from the right and in the process, Miracle was thrown off and landed directly under the tipper tyre.
“Her head got squashed, killing her on the spot. Bystanders and others screamed and kept screaming till almost all of Karshi converged on the scene.
“Miracle’s brains, blood and bits and pieces of her flesh splattered on the ground, a gory,very gory sight indeed!
“The okada man disappeared in the ensuing pandemonium, speeding off with his okada. He has not shown up to date. Same with the tipper driver.
“Police were informed of the accident and came to the scene, where people were seen wailing, some rolling on the ground, some weeping with their hands on their heads,
many raining all sorts of curses both on the okada man, the tipper driver and on whomever was spiritually behind the death of this young, exemplary, hard working, unmarried girl known all over here to be full of respect for people.”
The paper was told that when a Muslim Northerner, whose shop is close to her mother’s in the market, heard of her death, the man fainted.
It took bucketfuls of water to revive him, market sources said.
Such was the admiration for the young lady’s personality.
Situation In Karshi Day Miracle Was Killed
The killing of 27-year-old Miss Miracle, a holidaying Final year student of Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State, sparked widespread anger and triggered unprecedented crowds in Karshi on the fateful day.
Landlords, tenants, residents, the old,the young, housewives and passersby were said to have hurriedly abandoned whatever endeavor they were engaged in and trooped to the scene of the accident, particularly as she was said to be a popular exemplary youth who, anytime she was home from school, successfully ran her mother’s foodstuffs shop located in nearby Orozo Market, and also applied herself to housekeeping at their Angwan Hakimi home “with rare distinction not easily found in today’s mostly yahoo-inclined youth.”
Multiple sources close to the family also vouched for her moral rectitude, saying “she’s not one of those loose ones unscrupulous men lure with money.”
Police Role
People&Politics gathered that invitations, including at least a telephone call, by the police leadership in Karshi to Miracle’s anguished father, Mr. Elijah Emmanuel, and his circle of close friends and sympathizers, to come to the station to sign certain documents that would pave the way for release of the tipper lorry, were rebuffed.
For instance, People&Politics was told, a meeting slated for the morning of Tuesday, 19 May, was boycotted by the group, citing unresolved matters with both the police and the vehicle owner, alleged to be physically impaired.
Public Reaction To Her Death
News of the death of the vivacious lady rocked the town, spreading like wildfire, and led to loud weeping, yelling, tears, and unrestrained raining of strings of curses by members of the public gathered at the scene.
The depth of spilled emotion was so enormous that for hours, vehicular movement was impeded on both sides of the affected road as angry residents blocked the road to express their outrage.
At The Family Home
When People&Politics visited the family home, a mammoth crowd was on hand to console the family.
There were market union members, brethren in the church, neighbours, community leaders, landlords, tenants, residents, outsiders from inside Abuja City proper, Muslims, Christians, sympathizers from Nasarawa State, the elderly, youths, professional persons, civil servants, and others.
It was a touching beehive of sorrow, tears, anguish, emotional torment, all sorts of rather indescribable moods associated with losing a beloved one.
A framed photo of a smiling Miracle was set on a chair and later a condolence register was opened.
Speaking to People&Politics, Miracle’s mother, Mrs Peace Emmanuel, was, naturally, beside herself with much grief.
Several stout-looking women surrounded and held her. Mrs Emmanuel’s eyes were reddish, indicating much weeping and lack of sleep.
Slowly speaking, words punctuated by sobs, she said: “Miracle was my eye, my hands…with her, I could do other things knowing she would always do an excellent job. They have taken away my right hand.
“She was more than a daughter to me. She helped me in so many ways.
“Now, she’s gone! She has left a big hole in my heart. What will I do?”
On his part, the strength of a man failed the father of the deceased, Mr Emmanuel, as he too spoke.
“She was like everything to us. Organized her mother’s shop. Ran it very well. Personally visited markets elsewhere to buy goods,some on credit. Her charisma and personality admired by all.
“At home here, she did this, did that, saw to it that we’re happy, that her siblings too are happy, that everything goes well,” he said, head bowed.
A family friend, Engr. Peter Unogwu, who is also Chairman, Karshi Market Taskforce, and who was with the family from beginning of the ordeal to the end, also spoke in glowing terms of Miracle.
He confirmed to People&Politics: “Miracle was the parents’ strong right hand. Unafraid to take up challenges, a reliable child who did as her parents wanted, here at home and in their commercial businesses.”
Immediate Effects Of Her Demise
Residents told the paper that following the manner of her death, the community leaders immediately summoned okada operators to a meeting, in a bid to unearth the culprit that operated the ill-fated motorcycle of 8 May.
It was gathered that the community leaders were surprised to learn that the commercial motorcycle operators in the area had no union, thus making it an uphill task to fish out any of them involved in crimes.
According to Engr. Unogwu, who is also one of the community leaders, the community therefore, ordered the operators to organize an election, elect a hierarchy that can be held responsible and make available a personnel database to the community and law enforcement agencies within two weeks, failing which the community would halt their operations in the area.
Community watchers say the move,coming at this time of nationwide insecurity, kidnappings and killings, would likely stem rising cases of crime and criminality in Karshi, a town that houses, among others, the FCTA-owned Government Secondary School and two other public schools.
The Burial
The remains of the deceased were laid to rest in the community-owned Karshi Cemetery, located opposite both LEA Primary School and Junior Secondary School.
As early as 9am on Saturday, 16 May, sympathizers had begun to converge on the burial facility.
People&Politics, which covered the sombre event, counted a sizeable number of people, many in black outfits and wearing dark spectacles.
Later, an ambulance conveyed the body to the cemetery trailed by a convoy of vehicles.
As the final rites of passage kicked off, hymns such as ‘It Is Well With My Soul’ and ‘Fading Away’ were rendered by the gathering, amid tears.
Delivering his homily at the committal service, Chaplain Ifeanyi Ifedibasia implored those present to put their faith only in God Almighty and quoted from the Holy Bible text which says man is not dead “but sleeping” till Christ Jesus comes when the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Consoling the family, friends, associates and others, Chaplain Ifedibasia told them that even as they shed uncontrollable tears, Miracle is happily in the bosom of God Almighty in heaven interceding for everyone.
Two of the deceased’s sisters, Mmesoma and Kosisochukwu, dressed in black, and who performed the customary dust-to-casket rites, extolled the boldness of their sibling while alive and urged her to fight back against her enemies.
Suspecting that their sister was killed by unseen hands through demonic means, they armed her with a broom and urged her to take vengeance on her killers and “their generations” by also despatching them to the eternal beyond and not spare any.
Tears flowed freely down many people’s cheeks as the siblings performed the rites with several in the gathering concurring with the sisters.
Later, the casket was lowered into the earth alongside a jerrycan containing the brains as well as other items bearing parts of the head.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Miracle.
