The Nigerian Navy has detained three of its personnel and a civilian as they conduct an investigation into the death of Mr. Ifeanyi Richard Onumaegbu.
Mr. Onumaegbu, a long-serving civilian staff member at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Ojo Lagos, was found deceased in his office.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Navy’s Spokesman, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, revealed that an altercation involving Mr. Onumaegbu and some individuals took place prior to his demise.
The statement explained that on March 31, 2024, Mr. Onumaegbu’s lifeless body was discovered in his office, prompting a preliminary investigation.
It would be recalled that one of the victim’s family members who didn’t disclose his name explained in a video on social media that the four officers beat him for seven hours in his boss house before he died.
“Four of the five men brutalized, kicked and punched him. They beat him to the extent that his body was swollen. Unfortunately, on Easter Sunday, the family got a call that Richard had died.”
The family member reiterated that ” NN has failed him (Richard) while he was alive and prayed they don’t fail him in death to get justice.”
Responding to the family’s request, the Nigerian Navy has facilitated the transfer of Mr. Onumaegbu’s body to a reputable government hospital in Lagos for an autopsy.
The Navy assured both the family and the public that all necessary measures are being taken to determine the cause of death and those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the applicable laws.
The statement reads in part that: “The NN wishes to inform the general public that the deceased was an integral part of the NN family as a civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence attached to the Laboratory Department of the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital (NNRH) Ojo, Lagos since 2009 and he served meritoriously.
“On 31 March 2024, he was found lifeless in his office at NNRH. A preliminary investigation revealed that 4 days earlier, on 26 March 2024, the deceased was involved in an altercation with a civilian lady and some NN personnel in Navy Town barracks.
“Consequently, all suspected personnel and the civilian lady involved in the previous altercation were identified and are currently under close custody. The NN has facilitated the movement of the deceased’s body to a reputable government hospital in Lagos based on the request of the family for an autopsy.”
It would be recalled that the Joint Executive Council of the Ministry of Defence embarked on a peaceful mourning protest on April 8 against the death of Onumaegbu.
The protest was held across all the civilian personnel units of the Ministry of Defence
