NEPA retiree dies after drinking women’s urine
By Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
Thursday, March 2, 2006


It was primitive anger on display recently in Afugiri, Ohuhu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, when a group of women from three autonomous communities that make up 11 villages in the area stormed the home of a retiree of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), dragged him out, stripped him, beat him to an inch of his life before forcing urine donated by several women down his throat for allegedly importing an oracle that can kill.

The victim, Chief Godwin Nwokocha, who could not absorb the fury meted out to him by the women group, eventually died and his naked body was wheeled to his house in a barrow.

According to his wife, Mrs. Margaret, who spoke to Daily Sun in Umuosu Afugiri, the urine forced down her husband’s throat was running out from his anus ceaselessly when his naked body was wheeled back and dumped in front of his house.

Daily Sun investigation revealed that detectives have stepped into the matter and several arrests have been made, but some of the key actors in the case (including youths) have fled.

Mrs. Margaret told Daily Sun that she never knew that they would kill her husband that very day.
She said: “The incident happened on Tuesday, January 10, 2006. That morning, the women came to invite my husband out for the settlement of a pending matter. We all left and on reaching there, they asked him to stand in their midst. Some people had told the women that my husband said there would be several deaths in the village before March.

“The women did not ask if the allegation was right or false, they descended on him and started raining blows on him, while others were throwing stones, spitting and pouring sand on him. They held his shirt and tore it off, and as they were trying to pull out his trousers, he took to his heels.

“They pursued him into the bush. I followed them. As they caught up with him, a man raised him up and hit him on the ground. Another man brought out a sharp iron rod and pierced his head. After beating him to their satisfaction, they dragged him to the women, whose turn it was to use all manner of weapons available to them to beat him.

Then they put him on a long march round the 11 villages as they booed, spat, whipped, stoned and even pulled at his private part. From Umuosu, they headed for Umunemeze en route Umuokoroala. On the way, he told them that he was tired and could no longer walk, that he needed water to drink, because he was bleeding from almost every part of his body. Then one of them went behind a house and came out with a cup of urine, which they forced down his throat.

As they forced it into his mouth, they told him to drink that it was ‘Holy Water’. And she was confirmed to be on her period. She went to her house and brought a wheelbarrow and they lifted him into it and moved on. I could no longer take it, I broke down and started crying. I wanted to go and call police, but they blocked my part and would not allow me to go.

“From Umuokoroala, they went to Umuakama, Akpahia etc. It was at Umuakam that one Nkechi who was also having her menses, urinated and they forced him to drink. Other women followed suit. At least six women urinated and they forced the urine into his mouth.

“When they got to the round about, a man called Okonko brought a video machine and started filming him while the women circled him. One of them was holding a tin of Tomapep filled with urine and they were forcing it down his throat. As they saw me coming, they threw the tin away and lowered his weak body into the wheelbarrow.

All the urine they forced down his stomach was flowing out from his anus. The condition in which I saw him showed that he was dead. I began to wail and the women started running away one after the other because they saw that I had discovered that he was dead. Some were also celebrating and shaking each others’ hands that he was dead.

“After that, two women wheeled his corpse back to our house asking me to come and open the door for them to dump him. I told them that since they had killed him, they should slaughter his meat and share it among themselves. I left the house and by the time I came back, they had dumped his corpse on the pavement in front of our house and fled.”

An elder from one of the communities told Daily Sun of a big gang-up against Nwokocha. He said he had appealed against the decision of the men but his enemies ensured that the appeal was not heard. Elders said that he should take an oath but the youths rejected it and it was his enemies who were causing troubles.

“The Chairman of Umuosu Union allowed the women to come in without looking into his appeal. It is unbelievable that women could do a thing like that in this age”, he said.
Meanwhile, a police source that confirmed the matter and expressed shock at the incident, told Daily Sun that all suspects would soon be taken to court and that the police would ensure that justice is done.