Nkechinyere Ewa
Nearly five years after 35-year-old Miss Nnenna Onu was allegedly murdered and set ablaze in her father’s compound at Anike-Onicha, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, her family says it is still waiting for justice while battling fear, trauma and displacement.
Nnenna was killed on December 23, 2021, in an incident that triggered public outrage and condemnation from rights groups. Family sources alleged that the killing was connected to a dispute over the inheritance of their late father’s property.
Nnenna was the elder of two daughters and, according to the family, resisted attempts by some members of the extended family to bury their father without the consent of his children.
The family alleged that her opposition to the move was followed by threats to her life, allegedly involving one of her senior cousins, Mr David Okoronkwo Ukpa, popularly known as “ATS.”
Five years on, Nnenna’s younger sister, Juliet Ogonnaya Onu, said the family had yet to recover from the tragedy.
Speaking in Abakaliki, Ogonnaya acknowledged the arrest and arraignment of one of the suspects, Chidiebere Okoro nwaokorie, on March 9, 2026, but expressed concern over the pace of the investigation and the continued absence of other suspects allegedly named in connection with the case.
She specifically mentioned Uchechi Okoro nwaokorie, who she said was still at large, while also calling for further investigation into the alleged role of Ukpa.
According to her, the police recently took Ukpa into custody but released him after he denied involvement in the killing.
“Recently, the Police called me and said they had in custody one of the accused persons I consider the prime suspect, Mr David Okoronkwo Ukpa. He has been on the run since 2021,” she said.
“When I went to the station and made my statement, they asked him a few questions. After he denied involvement, he was allowed to go. He now brags that nothing will happen. I expected the Police to detain and thoroughly interrogate him.”
Ogonnaya further alleged that Ukpa had threatened Nnenna shortly before her death.
“A few days before my sister’s murder, he came to our house and threatened that she would die with incomplete body parts,” she alleged.
She also alleged that one of Nnenna’s legs was severed after the killing, claiming that the act was connected to the threat allegedly made against her sister.
“When my sister was killed, the assailants, true to Mr Ukpa’s word, cut off and fled with one of her legs. I believe it was to present to Mr Ukpa as evidence that they had carried out their agreement,” she alleged.
Ogonnaya said the family remained particularly worried about their mother, who, according to her, fled their ancestral home following alleged threats and has since been living away from her husband’s compound.
“My mother is aged and traumatised. She is staying with me now, but she is homeless in the real sense because she has no home in her husband’s compound,” she said.
“She fled for her life after the incident due to threats from Mr Ukpa and his cohorts. But she cannot continue to live in exile at her age.”
She appealed to the Ebonyi State Government, security agencies and human rights organisations to intervene in the matter, ensure the safety of the family and help resolve the inheritance dispute.
Ogonnaya also urged the authorities to thoroughly investigate Ukpa and other persons allegedly linked to the murder.
She appealed to the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Ferdinand Okoronkwo Nwujor, and other family stakeholders to ensure that her mother receives her lawful share of the inheritance.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Ebonyi State Police Command on the status of the investigation and the circumstances surrounding Ukpa’s release were unsuccessful as of press time.
Meanwhile, the State Coordinator of the Ebonyi State Gender-Based Violence Taskforce, Barrister Faith-vin Nwanchor, condemned attempts to deny female children their inheritance rights.
Nwanchor said existing laws, including the Ebonyi State Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, as well as relevant Supreme Court decisions, provide protection against discriminatory inheritance practices.
She commended the National Human Rights Commission, Ebonyi State Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, Ebonyi State Family Law Centre and other rights organisations for their interventions in the matter.
Nwanchor urged the institutions to intensify their collaboration and renewed efforts to secure justice for the family.
She assured that the Gender-Based Violence Taskforce would continue to contribute within its powers towards ensuring that justice is served.