Godwin |
Mr. Fred Ayogu, the father of a Nigerian
student, Godwin, 19, who was murdered at the University of Cape Coast
in Ghana, has accused the Ghanaian police of ignoring enquiries from the
family.
Ayogu, a Lagos-based businessman said
attempts to get information from the Ghanaian police concerning
investigation into Godwin’s murder had been met with silence.
The Cape Coast Police Command was said to be handling the investigation into the murder of the 19-year-old.
Godwin, a 300-level student of
Economics, was allegedly killed by yet-to-be identified friends for
attempting to get back $5,300 which he had loaned them.
Continue reading after the cut...
Ayogu told PUNCH Metro that
Godwin’s body was dumped outside his hostel in the university with his
hands and legs tied. A knife was allegedly used to butcher him.
He said, “The first inkling I had about
the incident came from an official of the Nigerian High Commission in
Ghana. He called to inform me that Godwin was missing. He said although
the commission’s officials had gone to the school, my presence was still
required in Ghana.
“The following day, a friend in Jos
called my attention that Godwin’s death was all over the social media.
When I called the commission official to ask if indeed Godwin was dead,
he confirmed it.
“Godwin’s roommate, Aboesi, also called
me to say Godwin’s friends murdered him because he insisted on
collecting the money that he had loaned them. The following day, which
was a Sunday, I left for Ghana.”
At Ghana, Ayogu said he had a meeting
with Aboesi, representatives of the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana
and the vice-chancellor of the university.
At the meeting, Ayogu said he urged Aboesi to tell everyone who had murdered Godwin.
Ayogu said, “To my surprise, Aboesi
became evasive. This was someone who had told me the day before that
Godwin’s friends murdered him. Eventually when he opened up, the details
changed. He claimed that Godwin had given him $4,600 for safekeeping.
Meanwhile Godwin, who had resumed at the school since September 2013,
had yet to pay his school fee which was $4400.
“He later said Godwin collected the
money from his room on the day he was murdered. It was then I realised
that Godwin didn’t come home for Christmas last year because he had no
money.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that those who
found Godwin’s corpse were initially unable to identify him. Pictures
were said to have been taken of the corpse and posted on the campus
until Godwin was identified as a student of the school.
Ayogu lamented, “As of now, I have been
informed by the Nigerian community in Ghana that Godwin’s autopsy had
been done, but I have yet to get the results. The Ghanaian police
investigating the case have stopped picking my calls. Right now, I have
no idea what is going on.”
The Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria could not be reached as his contact was not available.
A telephone number that was displayed on the commission’s website rang out when our correspondent called it.
The Chairperson, House Committee on
Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, told our correspondent on
Thursday, via a text message, that Godwin’s issue would be presented on
Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
She said, “The committee members just
got back from Ghana. In the last few months, about four Nigerian
students have been murdered in Ghana.
“We view this with grave concern and would bring it to the attention of the House next week.”
-Punch
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