Prof. Ibrahim A. Gambari, a former chief of staff to Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, has sympathised with the immediate past president of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, Maureen Chigbo and her family on the tragic loss of her elder sister, Nwamaka Chigbo.
A former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, had earlier visited Maureen to sympathise with her and the family over the incident, even as the police said some arrests have already been made in connection with the murder.
Nwamaka, an Abuja based lawyer was kidnapped and later killed by yet to be known gunmen on January 5. The family has been in tears since then.
Gambari, in a condolence letter which he personally signed and addressed to Maureen said “I sincerely sympathise with you and your family on this huge and irreplaceable loss. I want to take solace in the knowledge that your sister has lived her life in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ and has touched so many lives with her benevolence.”
Gambari who is also a former Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the United Nations and former Under Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs prayed for Nwamaka’s soul to rest in peace, adding: “And may
Before Nwamaka’s abduction, she was on the phone with her sister Anthonia, who briefly interrupted the call to attend to a client. When she reverted, the barrister’s phone was still live, and Anthonia could hear her sister’s distress cry before the phone suddenly went dead and unreachable.
Anthonia alerted her elder sister, Maureen Chigbo, and other family members, who called the lawyer’s number repeatedly to reach her or her abductors to no avail.
When a call finally went through, a male voice rained curses in English and Hausa language, saying: “Thunder fire you there, send three million Naira or else we will kill her.” The captors gave no further details and abruptly terminated subsequent calls.
Nwamaka’s family later tried to contact the Police Force Public Relations Officer and left a text message on her phone. They were referred to two police complaint numbers.
The family equally sent a distress text and WhatsApp message to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and also contacted the FCT Police Commissioner, who immediately linked them up to the Commander of the Scorpion Squad, in charge of kidnapping in Abuja.
The Commander later called to inform the family that the police were tracking the kidnappers, who were said to be “in motion and would likely drop the lawyer off once they might have collected the ransom.”
The kidnappers never initiated any calls, and when Nwamaka’s family members reached them through her phone for clarification on how the ransom would be paid, they only heard the lawyer screaming in pain, “I am dying. …save me, please send the money, I am dying,” before the phone finally went dead again.
The family maintained contact with the Police Commander throughout Monday night to follow up on the rescue operation.
At 4 am on Tuesday, January 6, when Maureen called the Commander, he expressed surprise that the lawyer had not called or returned home. He then promised to escalate the rescue operation.
The Commander later called to inform the family that “a lady had been found in a critical condition” and taken to an Abuja specialist hospital. He requested that Nwamaka’s picture be sent for identification purposes.
Maureen immediately took a flight from Lagos to Abuja and on reaching the hospital, saw her sister’s lifeless body in the mortuary with bruises, swollen eyes, and a cracked skull, all signs of a tortured death.
The Chigbo family has met with the Police authorities, who assured them that the case was under investigation and that the culprits would be apprehended.
Nwamaka was an active member and former treasurer of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja, member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, IFWL,
FIDA and Global Association of Female Lawyers, GAFA. She was a former President of Catholic Lawyers Association, Abuja.
An ardent Catholic, Nwamaka authored a book on Infant Jesus, and until death was the vice president of the Infant Jesus Association, member of the Mother of Perpetual Help Catholic Group among other religious groups.
The family expresses its gratitude to the Police for their efforts and cooperation so far, and urges the force to ensure that justice is served in Nwamaka’s case.
The family also wishes to thank Nwamaka’s friends, colleagues and well-wishers for their support and prayers. Her funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as possible.
