Joy Anyim
There may be more to the death of Chinua Nwogu, a 32-year-old Chinese translator, who had died, following an alleged accident at his place of work, CC7 Construction Company, Lekki in Lagos, on September 21.
This is the submission of friends, colleagues and former classmates of the deceased, who have taken to their various social media accounts to demand justice, and an in-depth investigation into what they claimed to be a clear case of murder.
Nwogu, a graduate of Mass Communication from the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, also holds a diploma in Chinese Language from the same school.
While the company said it was an accident, the concerned acquaintances of the deceased claimed that the Chinese worker, who drove the forklift that had killed him, did so deliberately, as Nwogu had had a misunderstanding with him days before the said accident.
They also accused the family of compromising in the matter by requesting compensation from the company, rather than insist on a thorough investigation into how their son was killed.
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Nnaemeka Kelvin Klein, a former classmate of the deceased, who spoke with our correspondent, maintained that the incident, which happened at Dangote Refinery in Ibeju -Lekki, where the construction company is handling some construction works, was premeditated.
Speaking via a telephone conversation, Kelvin called on the police to beam their search on the construction company, saying: “ Nwogu was a good and quiet guy. When we graduated, he stayed back to undertake a training in the Chinese language. A colleague of the deceased, who spoke with me said the Chinese, who drove the forklift was not a driver. I hear he was also not taken to the hospital in good time, which resulted in his death. I strongly believe the company is trying to cover up something. Let the police do a thorough job and investigate this murder.”
Kelvin took the demand for justice further on his Facebook page, using the hashtag #justiceforchinuanwogu, he wrote: “Man’s inhumanity to humanity, dear friends, this guy here is Chinua Nwogu from Imo State and my course mate all through the higher institution.
“This guy stayed back in school after our graduation to study the Chinese language. He finished and was employed as a translator by a Chinese company in Lagos. He was gruesomely murdered by his colleagues over the weekend, as a result of a mere misunderstanding.
“His murderers claim it was a ‘work-related accident’ but this is a pure fallacy. I implore you to join the campaign so that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are held accountable.”
Also sharing in the thought that Nwogu was murdered, Lawrencia Ada Obiora had also taken to her Facebook page to protest the killing.
In her post of September 23, she wrote, “My dear friend was killed by a co-worker in CC7 Construction company in lekki, Lagos. He was killed by a Chinese he was having issues with. The company is trying to protect the guy and company reputation by lying it was an accident.
“Chinua was a graduate of Mass Communication in Federal Polytechnic, Oko. He also did a Chinese course for three years in Oko. He was a dear friend and a selfless human. He was so intelligent and hardworking. He was a Chinese translator too for this company.”
In a similar post, Emeka Anudu, also a former classmate of the deceased and an activist, joined in the campaign, calling for investigation into the alleged murder.
In the first post on September 23, using the hashtag JusticeFor ChinuaNwogu, Andu wrote, “He was murdered in his own country by a North Korean sadist. This is not a xenophobic saga; this is wickedness, this is murder, this is evil. Chinua Nwogu hails from Imo State, a schooled graduate of Mass communication, and also holds a diploma in the Chinese Language, all from Federal Polytechnic, Oko. Until he was murdered by a Chinese co-worker at CC7 Construction company, Lekki, Lagos over a mere misunderstanding, he worked with the company, as a Chinese translator.
“The company wanted to claim it was an accident, just to protect the interest of their foreign brothers and that of the companies image. This murderous act could still be going on and could be any of our relations. Currently, there is an ongoing protest in the company’s premises, seeking justice for the death of this my friend and course mate then in school. We pray you to please share this across various media platforms till it gets to the concerned authority, to his state governor, senator, representing his zone, and that of the House of Representatives.”
In another post on October 1, Anudu, who seemed displeased with the state of investigations into the matter wrote, “What are we even celebrating @59, postcolonialism in our own fatherland. The late Chinua Nwogu from Eziama Mbaitolu community in Imo State, Nigeria, is yet to access justice for his gruesome murder by a foreign peasant Korean labourer at the CC7 construction company Lekki, Lagos.”
He alleged that Nwogu’s family had been talked into receiving compensation from the company, hence blocking everyone interested in getting justice for the deceased.
He continued, “Nwogu’s family has gone blank and has blocked everyone, seeking justice for their late brother on every social media outlet. Collecting peanuts as compensation for his death by the so-called family members who left him to suffer his way out of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, and Chinese school in approximately nine years is wickedness and should be condemned by every sane society.
“What would have happened in Korea or China should the same fate befall any of their countrymen? They would have lynched or jailed the unfortunate Nigerian, but never so in my country where justice is exclusively for the elite and for the white-skinned foreigners. Who shall please uphold this case to earn justice for my late friend, Chinua? Why do we shelter these foreigners that treat Nigerian workers as a slave?
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“Who shall stand up against this post-domestic colonialism in Nigeria? You work your bone out and get peanut, as a pay amidst other maltreatment. A Chinese local translator need not die like a nobody in his fatherland, I call on the Foreign Affairs Minister and every other concerned authority to do the needful.”
Sister of the deceased was contacted for comments on the matter. Nelly said: “ We have been going to the construction site for some time now but no one is telling us anything. His colleagues said none of them was there when the accident happened. We even asked the Company to give us their CCTV footage, but they said they don’t have a CCTV camera. We have not been able to get any evidence. So, for now, we are just letting things be. “ Asked why the family is not willing to allow a thorough investigation into the matter, she said, “Our father said he does not want trouble. Will any investigation bring him back?”
When contacted for comments on the matter, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Bala, confirmed the matter.
He said, “The company reported a case of an accident. The traffic department and accident detectives of the police are investigating the matter.”Bala also revealed that the family had been requesting for compensation. “The family is asking to be compensated, but the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), told them it is not in his purview to discuss with the company on that. It is purely a civil matter and it was a forklift that killed the young man.”
The Nigerian Xpress also learnt that friends and some colleagues of the deceased had also gone to the company to protest
