The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has been urged to intervene in the alleged murder of a four-year-old girl, Zinachukwu Ugwu, in Nsukka, Enugu State.

The appeal is outlined in a petition by the human rights organization, Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), calling for justice, a thorough reinvestigation, and the prosecution of all those involved in the brutal and premeditated murder.

Briefing journalists in Enugu, the Executive Director of WACOL, Professor Joy Ezeilo (SAN), decried the gruesome murder of the girl as well as the alleged exploitation of her parents by the police in the guise of investigation since the matter started.

“We are solicitors to Dr & Mrs Ndubuisi and Loveth Ugwu, parents of the victim whom we shall refer to as ‘client’. It is the instructions of our client that their daughter, 4-year-old Miss Zina Ugwu, was brutally killed in her sleep, pulled, and her throat slit by one Nweke Chukwuemeka ‘suspect’.

“This incident happened on 18th August 2024 at about 11.30pm at their residence in Umunwanwa village, Orba Road, Nsukka, Enugu State. Investigations were eventually conducted into the matter by the police, Enugu Command.

“However, our client is not satisfied with the result of the investigation, which did not indict the landlord of the said premises, who reportedly prevented men of the vigilante group from accessing the place of the incident and who, being aware of the notorious nature of the suspect gave him accommodation, and also managed a beer parlour close to the said premises where known criminals used to gather, alongside the suspect from time to time.

“The wife of the Landlord was also reportedly complicit, acting as a pointer for the suspect in the cause of the incident.”

The mother of the slain girl, Madam Ugwu, said before her daughter was killed, a co-tenant had taken forceful custody of her other child.

She added that the child was being searched for throughout the premises, while the tenant remained silent until she heard her child’s voice and began raising the alarm.

Dr. Ugwu, a lecturer at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, who is the father of the deceased, corroborated his wife’s account.

He pleaded with the government and the Inspector General of Police to intervene and ensure that justice is done in the case.

Ugwu, whose eyes were brimming with tears, said, “I am compelled to share the tragic events that have befallen my family and justice was perverted in favour of the perpetrators of the murder.

“Our lives took a devastating turn when our youngest child, Zinachukwu, was brutally murdered while sleeping in our home. As a lecturer based in Ekiti State, I live in Ekiti where I work. This tragedy has brought unimaginable pain and suffering to my family’s lives.

“The attack was unprovoked and there was no prior history of conflict or issues between my family and him. We had no relationship or interaction with him, as we would leave for work and school in the morning and return at night.

“Initially, the prime suspect was quartered in landlord’s hotel nearby. He was known to be the landlord’s hitman, confronting anyone who had trouble with the Landlord.

“I am convinced that the landlord is connected to the brutal murder of my four-year-old child. Firstly, the landlord was abundantly aware of Chukwu Emeka Nweke’s criminal and destructive nature. Secondly, Chukwu Emeka Nweke openly confessed that the landlord had paid him one million naira to commit the crime.

“Thirdly, the landlord attempted to bribe me to drop the case in the presence of his brother, Dr Augustine Onyishi, his lawyer, Barrister Aro, my brother, Barrister Ikechukwu Ikenyi, and another brother, Augustine Azoka. The landlord promised to offer me N500,000 to remove the side of his involvement from the case.”

He added, “Our final request is that we receive a fair compensation for the damages and losses we have incurred. Although no amount can bring back our child, we hope for a settlement that comes close to covering what we have lost.

“In conclusion, we appeal to the authorities to intervene and ensure justice is served for the senseless murder of our innocent child, Zinachukwu. We pray that our cries for justice will be heard and that those responsible will be held accountable.”

“We ask the Inspector General of Police to expedite action in sanitizing the rot in NPF especially starting with the above-named officers,” he passionately pleaded.

Ezeilo, a former United Nations envoy and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, stated that her organization, as advocates for human rights in Nigeria and beyond, seeks nothing more than justice for their deceased child on behalf of their client.

“We live in a civilized society, and people practicing cannibalism and the heinous crime of homicide must be held accountable. Our client’s cry for justice must be redressed, and we trust you to use your good office to bring all the culprits before the law,” they pleaded with the IGP.