ANYIAM-OSIGWE, ASSASSINATED?

Icheoku says the narrative does not add up, of how this man died; allegedly shot dead by armed robbers? Any critically thinking mind,  piecing together the account of events leading up to the killing of Nze Michael Anyiam-Osigwe, would definitely come to the same conclusion that there is a lot the public is not being told about how this man met his death? 

Icheoku on his part is emphatic that based on the circumstances surrounding his death, as narrated, that MAO was not a victim of a random attack by a band of marauding bandits. Rather he fell into the snare of a well planned, carefully choreographed and clinically finished assassination, by some evil people, possibly including his family members, who specifically wanted him out. Hopefully security agencies would, upon forensic investigation, also arrive at this conclusion, make necessary arrest and prosecute his murderers for the crime. But the story, culminating to his demise as is being told, is more of a fable, better reserved for the less endowed upstairs. 

Now patiently travel together with Icheoku as we journey back through the road of what allegedly transpired that eventually led to his death:- The family were en-route Owerri (Nkwerre-Orlu) Imo State from Lagos, for a funeral or an event and in a convoy of about four vehicles. Suddenly on approaching Okada town junction on Benin-Ore road, they ran into a band of armed robbers conducting an operation? They abandoned their vehicles and ran into the bush while their three-man police security detail engaged the armed robbers in a fierce fire-fight? The armed robbers overwhelmed the police detail, who then managed to summon for the help of additional police officers to the scene.  Eventually and still while Michael and co were still hunkered down in the bush, the combined team of police officers forced the armed robbers to flee? 

Please specifically note that these "well trained and fully armed" police officers did not and could not kill nor even successfully arrested any of one of these armed robbers? Following their "victory" over the armed robbers, the lead-police officer, using a bullhorn, called out to everyone who ran into the bush to come out as everything is now all-clear? MAO alongside others, honored the police assured announcement and reemerged from their hiding places inside the bush. Everyone drove off, except for  MAO, whose car suddenly became immobilized and so could not drive off while every other person except him did? According to the story, a bullet had perforated MAO's vehicle's engine and rendered it un-drivable? Icheoku queries a bullet perforating a car's engine, when each day we watch police television shows where police officers hide behind their vehicles engine section while exchanging fire with hoodlums? 

Continuing, suddenly as stranded MAO was still fiddling with his vehicle and wondering what the next line of action would be, one of the supposedly vanquished armed robbers, emerged from nowhere to put two hot leads into MAO's chest and thigh? There was no air-ambulance to MEdiVac MAO to the hospital and he was bleeding profusely from the exit chest-wound? There was also no ambulance either, with trained medical personnel to render good first aid and at least properly secure his bleeding fountains? 

According to their explanation, the nearest helicopter service available was over five hundred miles away in Port Harcourt from the shooting incident and the pilot "does not fly after 6pm and so cannot come to the rescue either?" The result was that a man already mortally wounded and clinging to his dear life, was driven by road back to Lagos, another distance of about four hundred and fifty miles before first proper medical attention could be rendered? He subsequently died in the hospital while preparations were afoot to evacuate him to a foreign country where adequate professional medical assistance is available?  Then the curtain of the narrative falls and with it a life that was productively lived but wickedly cut short. 

Now asks yourself where were those reinforced police team that "overpowered" those armed robbers when that lone straggling armed robber came back? Why was it MAO that the armed robber directed his shot at and at his heart; and there was no evidence of any particular act of provocation from MAO that could have so incensed the bandit to warrant such an aggravated aggression on him? Further, after point-blankly firing the deadly buck-shot at MAO, why did the armed robber not also shoot the other remaining people who were with MAO including two of his brothers? Also, nothing was stolen by the armed robber from either MAO or from any of the other persons as he quietly walked away and disappeared after 'mission accomplishing' his job? Why was it only MAO's car, among the many that were similarly abandoned by the fleeing victims at the scene, that developed a problem that immobilized it? 

Icheoku is asking these pertinent questions because a car engine is not so easily susceptible to nor is it readily compromised by ordinary bullets such as was fired in a cross fire shoot-outs? 

So is it possible that while Michael was hiding in the bush that his car was specifically sabotaged to render him a sitting duck for the assassin to find and execute? Further, why was a  deathly wounded MAO not taken to University of Benin Teaching Hospital or even Okada Teaching Hospital, both of which are very close to the scene, to be first fully stabilized before further seeking medical treatment for him? Why was a man bleeding from the heart driven by road so tortuously to Lagos with all the traffic jams and bad driving conditions factored in? 

That a member of the very powerful,  influential, wealthy and well-connected Anyiam Osigwe family of Nigeria, was mortally so wounded and the surviving brothers could not summon help or a helicopter to rush him to a hospital is beyond Icheoku's comprehension? Icheoku is aware that they have access and could have easily put a call through to Aso Rock or the Edo State Government House in Benin for an immediate SOS rescue; but instead decided to make a journey back to Lagos by road and for several hours carrying a man with life-threatening gunshot wounds on his chest and upper thigh?  Finally why were they traveling by road instead of undertaking the less than one hour flight time it takes from Lagos to Owerri or Enugu or even Asaba? 

Icheoku says there are just too many questions not being answered, which if answered would help clear the fog of this case. Icheoku is emphatic that this case smells of an assassination, but certainly not a random act of armed banditry which is plaguing the country. It also does not matter what those brothers of his with him are saying as their own version of the account of event, a thorough investigation is necessary to uproot the very root cause of MAO killing and let parties thereto present explain or answer some of these burning questions. Until then,Nigerians should see it as a lawless execution of a fellow citizen and seriously demand answers from those in the know. 

Icheoku says while the country is so deeply plagued and being suffocated by wanton insecurity,  politicians in that "largest economy in Africa" so called,  who could not do right by the citizens and at least provide some MEdiVac helicopters for emergency occasions like this, and who have also refused to adequately fund the police to help them produce crack crime-fighting police force that could have averted this needless and avoidable death, are once again busily perambulating all over the place and asking Nigerians to reelect them? Icheoku asks reelect them for what? What have they shown for their election of these past years? If only the APC would provide Nigerians with a real choice they can live with? Icheoku laments what a loss! So long Michael Anyiam Osigwe, Adieu!