Family of the late Mr Nnamdi Nwite of Agbaja Unuhu Community in Abakaliki local government area of Ebonyi State has demanded the immediate release of the body of their son for burial.
Nwite was allegedly hit by a stray bullet shot by a popular legal practitioner in the state.
The family, through their counsel, Barr Obinna Nwankwo said that the family is neither interested in engaging in any form of litigation over the death of their son nor any planned autopsy on the body of the deceased.
Barr Nwankwo maintained that the family, through his chamber, wrote to the Commissioner of Police on August 29, 2024 demanding the release of the body of the deceased for burial but expressed regrets that the police authorities had yet to take action on the request.
“The family I’m representing is of Mr Nnamdi Nwite who was injured sometime in August by some unknown persons while he was attending a function and was taken to the hospital but unfortunately, he died.
“The family, after their meeting with their kindred as well as the community at large, resolved that they do not want to prosecute the cause of the death of their son and in doing that, an affidavit was deposed to that very effect by the biological brother of the deceased, Mr Ekene Nwite.
“The affidavit was served together with an application written on behalf of the family by the kindred as well as the community to the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Command, that was on August 29, 2024.
“But, notwithstanding the said application and request for the release of the body of late Mr Nnamdi Nwite, the police did not in any way report to the family or made their decision known to the family consequent upon the family briefing me as a lawyer.
“I wrote a reminder to the Commissioner of Police. After the reminder, we were surprised that on September 6, 2024, somebody was arraigned by the Police over alleged murder of the deceased.
“One Barrister Sunday Nnunu is being arraigned by the police over a murder case. It is clear that the family I am representing never made any complaint against anybody and as to the circumstances that surrounded the death of the late Mr Nnamdi Nwite, the family made their position known to the Commissioner of Police.”
He expressed regrets that the police have refused to grant the family the permission to have their deceased brother buried.
It would be recalled that there have been attempts by the Police to arraign Barr Sunday Ununu at the Court which has failed three times.