The Police Command in Enugu State has commenced full investigation into the sudden death of five members of a family in the outskirt of Enugu metropolis.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Enugu.
Ndukwe said that the unfortunate incident took place at City Estate Layout, Amokpo-Nike near Enugu on Wednesday, April 29, probably in the morning hours.
“The command’s knowledge of the unfortunate development followed a complaint received on April 29 at about 1400hrs at Unity Police Station of an alleged sudden and unnatural death of a family of six at City Estate Layout, Amokpo-Nike, Enugu.
“The operatives of the station, led by its Divisional Police Officer, SP Siga Malgwi, immediately moved to the location where they sighted the bodies lying lifeless in a room.
“The building was cordoned off, while Enugu East Local Government Health Authorities were contacted for examination and evacuation of the bodies.
“However, in the course of disinfecting the building before the evacuation, the suspected only son of the family, Arinze Onyekwe, was found to be in coma.
“Arinze was immediately rushed to the hospital where he is said to be recovering,’’ he said.
According to him, corpses of five members of the family have been evacuated to the hospital, for medical examination and autopsy.
According to him,“other members of the family whose bodies have been evacuated to the hospital for medical autopsy included: Dominic Onyekwe, husband; Chinaza Onyekwe, wife, who is suspected to be pregnant, and Chioma, Oluebube and Blessing their daughters.”
The police spokesman said that the commissioner of police had ordered an ongoing investigation to ascertain the cause of their death.
It was gathered that the family hails from Eziowelle, Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra State
According to residents of the area, nobody knew of their death until a co-worker with the late Chukwumalu, a building contractor, visited his home but found the house locked, with his vehicle parked outside.
After several calls with no response, the co-worker had to force open the door and on entry, discovered the entire members of the family had been lying dead.
The incident reportedly attracted the neighbourhood, who went into the house and brought out the corpses, after which the police at Abakpa Nike; Chairman of Enugu East, Hon. Alex Ugwu and the UN rescue mission arrived.
One of the man’s children, Arinze, 10, reportedly breathed as the corpses were being taken to the hospital and was later rushed to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozala, where he is said to be responding to treatment.
Speaking to journalists at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu where the corpses of the diseases were kept, the South East Zonal Commander of the United Nations Rescue team, Mr. Emmanuel Okoye said they rushed to the scene of the tragedy as soon as they got the information.
