Sunday Ehigiator
Twenty-four years after the brutal killing of former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Onitsha Branch, Barnabas Igwe, and his pregnant wife, Amaka, justice has remained elusive despite a report by the Anambra State Truth, Justice and Peace Commission (TJPC), detailing the circumstances surrounding their murder and recommending remedial actions.
A confidential TJPC report, exclusively obtained by THISDAY, described the unresolved murder of the Igwes as “a continuing violation crying out for remedy” and documented allegations of state complicity, failed prosecution efforts and institutional interference that allegedly frustrated justice in one of Anambra State’s most controversial murder cases.
The 14-man commission was chaired by Nigerian human rights activist Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, while Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu served as secretary.
The report, prepared as part of the commission’s assignment to investigate historical violence, insecurity and unresolved grievances in Anambra and the South-east, traced the murder of the couple to September 1, 2002, when Barnabas and Amaka Igwe were attacked on Oraifite Street, Onitsha, shortly after returning from the NBA Annual General Conference in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to the report obtained by THISDAY, the couple were allegedly blocked by armed men, dragged out of their vehicle, brutally assaulted with machetes and clubs, and run over with an automobile. Amaka reportedly died later that night, while Barnabas succumbed to injuries in the early hours of the following day after reportedly identifying some of his attackers.
According to the document, the attackers were allegedly members of the then state-backed Anambra Vigilante Service (AVS). At the same time, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, who served as Commissioner for Works under the administration of former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, was named as the leader of the convoy linked to the attack. The report stated that witnesses and police investigators at the time identified Emeakayi and other suspects, leading to arrests and prosecution, efforts that later stalled.
THISDAY reports that Emeakay is currently the Special Adviser on Community Security to Governor Soludo and also heads the Agunechemba security outfit in Anambra State. However, no court conviction has been secured in connection with the case, and the allegations contained in the report remain claims documented by the commission.
The commission stated that the killings occurred amid growing tensions between the then Anambra State Government and the NBA, with Barnabas Igwe emerging as a vocal critic of the administration over unpaid salaries owed to teachers, judiciary workers and civil servants.
According to the report, Igwe had become one of the loudest critics of governance under the Mbadinuju administration at a time when workers, including teachers, judicial staff, and civil servants, were owed salaries and were on prolonged strike.
The report stated that as Chairman of the NBA’s largest branch in the old Eastern Region, Igwe regularly criticized what he described as poor governance and was outspoken against the operations of the Bakassi Boys, a vigilante group licensed by the then government and accused in the report of carrying out intimidation, unlawful detention and violent attacks.
According to the commission, tensions escalated in August 2002 after the NBA Onitsha branch, under Igwe, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Anambra State Government, demanding payment of salary arrears owed to judiciary workers, teachers, civil servants, and legislative staff, or face consequences. The report stated that Igwe had also demanded the governor’s resignation if he was unwilling or unable to resolve the salary crisis.
The TJPC report further detailed an altercation between the NBA leadership and a political appointee in the Mbadinuju administration during a high-level meeting of senior lawyers convened to discuss possible action against the government. According to the report, the incident deepened tensions between the state government and the NBA leadership shortly before the killings.
The commission also noted that Barnabas and Amaka Igwe were not the only critics of the administration allegedly attacked during the period. It cited the case of the then Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Anambra State, Charles Onyeagba, who was reportedly attacked and nearly killed around the same period after criticising the government over unpaid wages. At the same time, his office was allegedly burnt down.
According to the report, the couple had returned from Ibadan on August 31, 2002, and were attacked the following day while leaving work on Oraifite Street in Onitsha. The document alleged that a convoy led by Emeakayi blocked their vehicle and that Amaka, believing she recognised him as a client of the family’s law firm, reportedly ran toward him seeking safety as the assault began.
The report stated that armed men allegedly dragged the couple from their vehicle and attacked them with machetes and clubs before running over them with an automobile. It further alleged that neither Barnabas nor Amaka died from gunshot wounds but from the brutal physical assault that followed.
The commission said onlookers rushed the couple to several hospitals but that treatment was allegedly delayed because medical facilities reportedly insisted on a police report before admission. According to the report, the victims were eventually admitted after a police report was obtained, but the delay may have proved fatal. “It is believed that one or both of Barnabas and Amaka Igwe would have survived if they had been attended to promptly when they were rushed to hospital,” the report stated.
The report further claimed that before his death, Barnabas identified some of his attackers to his elder brother, Vincent Igwe, and narrated details of the incident.
According to the document, Barnabas reportedly told his brother that one of the attackers described the assault as “a lesson for fighting the government and that in his next life, he would not fight a sitting Governor again.”
The commission further alleged that subsequent investigations were interfered with.
According to the report, a Special Investigation Team of the Nigeria Police initially handled the matter. Still, investigators allegedly came under political pressure to either drop the case or compromise it.
The report also stated that senior police officers who pursued the investigation allegedly suffered career setbacks.
It further alleged that the prosecution of the case was repeatedly disrupted through judicial transfers, interference, and the disappearance of suspects.
The report noted that suspects were initially denied bail but that one of the accused later secured bail, raising concerns at the time over possible executive interference.
It added that a 2006 prison break enabled several suspects to escape custody, effectively stalling the matter.
Although some arrests were made and prosecution commenced, the commission stated that the matter was effectively abandoned and remains unresolved decades later.
According to the report, case files later disappeared from both the courts and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, while some suspects were allegedly still living freely within and outside Anambra State.
The report further noted that beyond the personal tragedy of the murders, Barnabas and Amaka Igwe left behind three orphaned children whose upbringing was taken over by relatives.
It also argued that the killings had a chilling effect on civic activism and accountability in Anambra State, weakening the legal profession, civic organisations and pressure groups at a period of heightened political tensions.
Making recommendations, the commission stated directly: “Given that the injustices suffered by the victims and their family, especially their orphaned children, by people who clearly appeared to be representatives of the state, it is recommended that: (a) a public apology be offered to the family by the state.”
The report added: “Recognising that nothing can compensate for the injuries they have suffered, the Anambra State Government (ANSG) may, nevertheless, consider a symbolic monetary compensation to the family.”
It further recommended: “The ANSG should consider renaming Oraifite Road where they were killed after the couple.”
The commission also stated: “Mr. Governor should direct an independent review of the handling of this case by a person or team to be led by a senior lawyer or retired judge, both to learn lessons which should preclude repetition, but also to determine the possibility of being able to ensure effective accountability for these crimes.”
