Father faults drowning claim, says son poisoned

The father of the late Air Force cadet officer, Emmanuel Chidiebere Onyemereneche, Mr. Ephraim Onyeomereneche, has made shocking revelations about his son’s death.

Contrary to the police report that Chidiebere drowned in a swimming pool at Hotel Royal Damgrate in Abia State on April 9, 2024, Onyeomereneche claimed that his son was murdered by poisoning. An autopsy conducted on June 29 revealed the cause of death, which he believes was orchestrated by Cadet Officer Valentine Ucheji Obeji, his son’s colleague and supposed friend, along with his brother, police officer Eric Obeji.

He said that Valentine, who came to his house on that fateful day to pick up his son, Chidiebere, had never reached out to him or any of his family members after the murder of his son to date, showing the intention.

Onyeomereneche, who spoke with our correspondent in an interview, suspects that Valentine’s motive was to eliminate his son, who was a top performer at the Nigerian Defence Academy, to increase his chances of becoming an Air Force pilot after graduation as they were told that only one person would be taken as a pilot from each geopolitical zone.

He alleged that Valentine and his brother used the hotel’s facilities to carry out the crime and are now trying to cover it up with the help of the Abia State Police, who are truncating the investigation.

Onyeomereneche, who is seeking justice for his son’s murder, narrated, “Cadet Officer Valentine Ucheji Obeji, who came to my house to pick and drive him (Chidiebere) to the hotel pool told me that on seeing the dirty nature of the pool after removing his shirt and trousers, said to him that he wouldn’t be swimming again, but rather will watch him (Valentine) swim. Valentine then handed the car keys, his phone, shirt and trousers to Chidiebere. Alongside Chidiebere’s two ATM cards, his phones and clothes were on top of the swimming pool slab, but Chidiebere was nowhere to be found.

“Obeji claimed that when he raised his head from the water and looked towards where Chidiebere was sitting and saw the phones, the ATMs, the clothes and caps, but couldn’t see Chidiebere, he suspected that he may have gone to buy drinks, or gone to the toilet or for strolling. What? Leaving car keys, ATM’s and phones to the care of no one? It is impossible for a responsible soldier who passed out from Nigeria Military School, Zaria, and, is in the final year of Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna. No now !!!.

“After Valentine’s assumed search at the toilets for Chidiebere, why did he run away from the hotel throughout search and rescue? From when I came to the hotel till 12:03 a.m. the next day when I left Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia where was Valentine? Valentine came to the house to pick up Chidiebere for swimming but forgot the parents’ house address to date. He held onto his phone and clothing, refusing to pick up my calls nor call me back.”

Onyeomereneche questioned if Valentine didn’t know what killed his colleague, “Why did the divers at the poolside refuse to do anything to save the life of a supposed drowning swimmer? Was it only Valentine Ucheji Obeji who was in the pool as of then? What happened to other swimmers in the same pool? The information said that there were four other ladies and others at the pool. How come nobody noticed when Chidiebere who said he was not swimming again because the water was dirty entered the pool?

“How come Mr Eric Obeji asked his ‘brother’ to leave the crime scene as narrated by Valentine Ucheji Obeji if Chidiebere was treated as a friend?”

He narrated further that Chidiebere’s stomach did not exhibit all the indices associated with someone who got drowned in either a pool or a river.

He asked, “Why did they retain his property, phones among others for over 24 hours and even wash his (Chidiebere’s) clothes? Why did Mr Eric not introduce himself as an officer and brother of Valentine Obeji and why did he demand custody of the mortuary tally before reneging on my refusal?”

Demanding justice for his late son, the grieving father unequivocally stated, “I suspect that Valentine couldn’t match Chidiebere’s intelligence and skills at the academy and then connived with some people and resorted to eliminating him and using the facilities of Hotel Royal Damgrate.

He added, “Valentine Ucheji Obeji know full well that whenever he’s outside the NDA Kaduna premises, and anything happens to him or any other cadet, he should contact the closest army formation. Why didn’t he do that, instead of resorting to police formation?

“I suspect and I believe that Valentine Ucheji Obeji has a hand in what killed my son, Chidiebere. From the above facts and circumstances, it is obvious he connived with some people and eliminated my son, using the facilities of Hotel Royal Damgrate, who are in the know.

“We only want justice to unravel the mysterious death of drowning as Chidiebere is a first-class swimmer, at least by the declaration of his school trainers who refused to believe this cooked story.”

Meanwhile, the Abia State Police Command has described the allegations as untrue.

The Command’s spokesperson, ASP Maureen Chinaka, who denied the allegations when reached out, however, noted that she would get back later for details, but insisted “this allegation is untrue.”

She said, “I remembered that when the incident happened I went to the hotel when we got there the deed had been done. The incident happened within the jurisdiction of the Central Police Station, and they were the first to attend to the matter when it was reported. So the allegations are untrue.”

When contacted for reaction, Eric Obeji denied having a hand in the death of Chidiebere and did not believe that his brother had in hand with the death of his friend. He strongly believed that he drowned in the swimming pool.

He said, “Valentine is my younger brother and came on holiday when the incident happened. I know about the allegation, but they are supposed to tell you that the police are investigating that case. The matter is under investigation and I have made my statement and I may not be able to speak further. I did not go with him to the swimming pool, I was in my office when he called me that there was an issue at the swimming pool.

“I went there and met the unfortunate incident. So that is it, I don’t have any hand in it and my brother I don’t think he has any hand in, rather the swimming pool in question should be looked into. That area should be looked into. Whatever that happened, happened in that swimming pool. I can send you pictures of the swimming pool they said was not under maintenance and how dirty the swimming pool is.

“There’s no CCTV covering the swimming pool. I don’t see any other place that’s more sensitive than a swimming pool in a hotel and there’s no camera covering it. Whatever they are hiding in the swimming pool I don’t know. The swimming pool was as dirty as anything. The shallowest part of the swimming pool you can’t even see the bottom, unlike other swimming pools. As at the time this incident happened there was no floater, there was no timer, pool attendant or diver in attendance at the pool that day. Everybody was busy at his comfort.

“I don’t know what had happened at the pool, but whatever that happened to that boy happened at that swimming pool. It was when my brother called me that I ran to that place. When I got there every other person was sitting, he was the one diving. Some other people were swimming while every other person around was busy doing their things, nobody cared and we were looking for somebody. You people should find out from the management of the hotel what happened to the boy.

“Why should that swimming pool be in that condition? If there was an attendant whatever happened in that swimming pool, he would have seen it but there was no attendant. It was when I got there that I went out to hire a pumping machine that I used and started pumping water by myself. I called two divers from other hotels to come with me and help that boy. There was no help.”

On the fact that the autopsy result points out that he was poisoned and not by the purported drowning, and also that the police are doing everything to compromise the investigation because he is a police officer, he denied it.

He said “Valentine is my brother, there’s no way he will have issues he will not call me. He came back and was staying in my house, I don’t know if it is a crime now to be a police officer. He called me and when I got there to assess the situation I called my boss, I called other teams that were in operation that came to the scene. After the incident, the corpse was deposited at the FMC.

“I was not the one that investigated that case. We don’t do that, that issue has something stronger to do with me because my brother was involved. So, I can’t be the one to investigate. So they should check their facts very well. I was not even the one that investigated. I am the DCO two, not the DCO one. I was petitioned and I was called to make a statement and I have stated what I know.

“There’s nothing like anybody wanting to cover, cover for what? What are we covering for? The soldiers came and took my brother from me. Since then they have been screening and drilling him to find out what he knows about the matter. So I don’t see anything that is trying to cover. Cover for what?”

On the allegation, that Valentine disappeared and did not call to inform Chidiebere’s parents when the incident happened and had not visited to date, Eric said, “No, Val has been his classmate and coursemate. Any time they are on holiday they hang around. They’re about three or four that usually come home to Umuahia and they hang around and they go anywhere they want to go together.

“That incident happened in the evening, from the PoS payment, Chidiebere was the one who paid for the swimming for both of them. He paid around 4 pm for the swimming. Val said that it was Chidiebere who called him to come for them to go and swim, and he came to their house. His father was the one who called Chidiebere that his friend was around. And they told his father that they were going to Damgrate Hotel to swim and they left for Damgrate, they didn’t go to any other place.

“It was that same Damgrate that they said they were going to swim that they went to, and when that incident happened I was the one that collected the father’s phone from Val and started calling him. These calls were around 6:30 pm to 7 pm. My brother called me around 5:30 pm to 6 pm. They paid by 4 pm and this thing was happening around 5:30 pm to 6 pm. It was my DPO that broke the news to him.”

When asked if he believes that Chidiebere died as a result of drowning, he said, “I think so, but the autopsy has to prove further.”

Meanwhile, Valentine Obeji, when contacted told our correspondent that he is under authority and wouldn’t say anything until authorized to talk to the media.

He said, “Please I am under authority and I think I shouldn’t be talking to the press on this matter until clearance is given to me. You can also find a way to reach my boss.”