Father Demands Justice for Death of Daughter after 5 Years

Five years after NYSC member disappeared, dad suffers stroke, demands justice from sickbed and refuses to eat.

Pa Raphael Okeke, 86, was looking forward to the day his second daughter, Antonia, would complete her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and return home. That was in 2008. That expectation was not met – and still has not been met, five years after. The young lady mysteriously disappeared and she has not been found since then.

Pa Okeke, struck by the mental and physical assaults of his daughter’s unresolved disappearance, is now down with stroke.

Antonia Ogechukwu Okeke, was posted to Ekiti State for her national service. She lived in Ilawe town, Ekiti South-West Local Government Area where she performing her primary assignment. Sources at Ekiti community revealed that Antonia used to patronise a commercial motorcyclist, simply identified as Theophilous. He used to take her to and from her place of primary assignment. According to her family, she was billed to travel home for 2008 Christmas season. And as usual, Theophilus, the commercial okada man, came to her residence to take her to the park. Thereafter, she was neither seen at the park nor did she get to her.

Her disappearance remains unresolved. According to the family, the matter was reported to the police. Now, five years on and without a clue – of even her dead body, assuming that was her fate – the family is alleging a cover-up. Family members say all efforts to see that those alleged to have been behind Antonia’s disappearance are brought to book are also not yielding result.

The elder brother of the missing corps member, Obinna Okeke, told Saturday Sun that once, the police told him that the case file was missing. “Last year when I called the police to inquire about their progress on the matter, they told me that the case file was missing. The state Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps in Ekiti State wrote a letter to the Ministry of Justice, Ekiti State requesting progress report on my sister. Up till now, I am still confused; I don’t know what is happening. This is a case involving a human being on a national assignment, not a goat.”

Antonia was one of Batch ‘A’ corps members of 2008-2009 Service Year. She was officially declared missing on December 19, 2008.  “On the day she disappeared, the okada man was the person who picked her from her residence as she was set to travel for Christmas break,” Obinna said, adding that, “instead of taking her to the park, it was alleged that he took her to an unknown destination.

“The okada man was arrested following a report by NYSC authorities to the police on December 22, 2008. A search was conducted in the man’s house where two of Antonia’s phone batteries, which other corpers identified and her pair of NYSC stockings was also recovered. Also, motorcycle particulars bearing Alhaji Suleimon Lawal, a herbalist, were recovered from the okada man’s house. This led to his arrest. The man told the police in Ekiti that the Alhaji bought the okada for him, while the Alhaji denied knowing the okada man.”

At present, the family is in rage, alleging a cover-up and insisting that, for five years now, nothing serious has happened. Among the documents made available to Saturday Sun is a letter from Ministry of Justice, Ekiti State Department of Public Prosecutions dated January 25, 2012 to the police. The letter reads in part: “Please, be informed that consequent upon the referral of this case by the police to the Department of Public Prosecutions, Ekiti State Ministry of Justice, vide reference number 3514 of November 18, 2009, this office issued a legal advice to the police to the effect that the suspect, Theophilus Pius has a case of kidnapping and murder of Okeke Anthonia Ogechukwu to answer and requested the release of the original case file of police investigation to us to facilitate the commencement of the trial of the said suspect in High Court.”

Lamenting, Pa Raphael Okeke vowed not to eat any food until those behind the disappearance of his daughter are brought to book. Speaking with a low voice from his hospital bed, the retired octogenarian teacher called on Ekiti State governor to ensure that justice is done. “Is it because I am not a politician? If I were in the corridors of power, I know that government would have intervened in this case. But the poor are not regarded and worst of all, no justice for them in Nigeria.

“I suffered as a teacher to train my daughter, hoping that she will one day cater for my needs. Today, Where is Anthonia? I am better dead than passing through this emotional pain. I am going to remain starved till the day I see my daughter.”