I was to take rice and chicken to my in-laws for New Year, now I’m taking their daughter’s corpse to them — Wokocha (Details, pics)

Family members of victims of the New Year violence in Rivers State share their grief with reporters.

Who are you?

I am Bright Wokocha. My wife was killed in the New Year violence in Rivers State.

How did you wife die?On December 31, 2017, my wife said she was going to church with the children and that a friend to the family would take them there and bring them back. On that day, at about 11pm, I went to a branch of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. I later called my wife to come back as soon as the crossover service was over. I got home before them and as I was relaxing, I heard gunshots.

I called them again immediately I heard gunshots. It was at that point that a commercial motorcyclist conveying my family home picked the call and said I should come and help them because they were lying on the ground. As I ended the call, my first daughter (eight years old) rushed in and told me that some people were shooting knockout (fireworks). I immediately rushed out.

When I got there, my wife was lying on the ground. She was not talking but her body was moving. About seven persons were lying on the ground and I was confused and did not know what to do. I rushed to my neighbour’s house and knocked on their door, but nobody initially opened the door. The person who later opened the door gave me a wheelbarrow when I asked for it. When I got back to the scene of the incident, I did not know whether to carry my wife or others.

I went to another neighbour’s place and called them but I noticed that he and his family had gone to church. I had to take his tricycle without the key to the scene of the incident. But there was nobody to help me put them inside the tricycle. It was around 1am.While were about carrying the victims into the vehicle, operatives of the JTF came. I begged them to help me carry my wife and others lying on the ground. But the soldiers ignored me, spoke in Hausa and left. I was confused before I later went to another neighbour who has a car. He came out and helped to convey the victims to the hospital. At the hospital, they told me that my wife was dead. The other victims were dying one after the other. It was only the commercial motorcyclist that was alive.

Did your wife speak to you before she died?N

No, she didn’t but she was breathing when I got to where she was. She was shot in the stomach. I became worried when the eldest of my children innocently said they shot their mother with knockout.

Do you suspect anybody?

I suspect Don Nwanee and his boys. He has been doing this for a long time. When soldiers invaded his residence, why didn’t he go and fight the soldiers? He only went to kill innocent souls who were coming back from church.

Why did you suspect him?

He is the only person that is killing in Omoku; Don Nwanee and his younger brother. They went and recruited people from Imo State. The boys who were with him in Omoku also joined AUSPAC.

What do you think is the solution? 

The solution is for the government to fish him out. If they fail to do that, then there would be problem. My wife was from Delta State and I have been asked to be in Delta to answer questions. Her people are telling me that they were unsure of what I told them and that I should come and meet them on Sunday (today). I was to take a bag of rice and chicken to them in the New Year, but I am taking their daughter’s corpse to them.

President Muhammadu Buhari should do something. Governor Nyesom Wike has promised to reward anybody who can give information leading to the arrest of those behind the killings. But they should bring in those soldiers that usually contain their activities and not those around now.

What was the situation in Omoku before the incident?

There was peace in Omoku before the incident. Nobody expected such attack in Omoku again.