The new Minister for Niger Delta, Pastor Uguru Usani Uguru might be haunted by his past as reports have it that he had in May 1996 murdered one Mr. Iwara Osuaya, who was a a Chairmanship contestant in Cross River State.
According to Point Blank News, a petition signed by the wife of the deceased, Jenny Iwara Osuaya was filed before the Oputa panel in 2001.
According to findings, Uguru allegedly supported another candidate and was said to have promised to offset Osuaya’s election expenses but at the point of receiving the said amount, a scuffle was said to have occurred which led to the death of the latter.
According to the report, the new Minister, along with other unnamed suspects were alleged to have killed Osuaya, rolled him up in a rug in his sitting room, taken the body to a nearby bush and poured acid on the corpse so as to hide the evidence.
At the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Commission in Port Harcourt, a former Chief of General Staff, Lt-General Oladipo Diya and a former Military Administrator of Cross River State, Group Captain Gregory Agboneni- under whom Uguru served as Commissioner for Information – were fingered forallegedly helping to cover up the crime and forestall his prosecution.
The PETITION NO 673 to the Oputa Panel reads:
PETITIONER: MRS. JENNY IWARA OSUAYA
The petitioner was the wife of one Mr. Iwara Osuaya [deceased). The petitioner alleged that her late husband was murdered by Mr. Usani Uguru Usani & Others. The assailants were arrested by the police.
Mr. Usani who was a member of the Cross Rivers State Executive Council used his influence to suppress investigation into the matter.
The preliminary investigation report of the matter indicted Mr. Usani and others but the police did not prosecute them. The preliminary report was admitted in evidence as Exhibit 2.
The Commission ordered the Inspector-General of Police to constitute another panel to conduct fresh investigation into the matter.
But police sources revealed to Point Blank News that the case has remained a “cold case” after the Oputa Panel.
