by: Jonathan Elendu

On the morning of September 30, 2005, Chukwuma Uwakaleme was in school. It was supposed to be like any other day. His parents had bid him good-bye like they usually do when he goes off to school. And he was ready for the fun of being around his friends and teachers. But this Friday morning was different from every other day. This day, Chukwuma’s life changed as he spoke his last words on that day. Six year-old Chukwuma Uwakaleme became another victim of Nigeria’s power elite. The Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly’s residence shares a fence with Chukwuma’s school in Umuahia. Every morning before the Speaker leaves for work or anywhere, his Security aides, in a display of raw power, would shoot into the air. According to them the reason for this reckless ritual is to “ward off enemies.” On this Friday morning, the Speaker’s guards shot into the air as usual and their bullets struck Chukwuma and penetrated his skull. The bullet has remained in this little boy’s skull since then.

Chukwuma was rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia. The doctors on duty battled to save Chukwuma’s life. Chukwuma was later referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in  Enugu, where attempts were made to remove the bullet lodged in Chukwuma’s skull. The surgery was unsuccessful. According to Debbie Ariyo (who brought this story to our attention) of Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA)—a London-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), “There are hospitals outside Nigeria that can take of this boy’s problems, but the parents are not in a position to fund his treatment.”

Abia State House of Assembly Speaker, Stanley Ohajuruka, was informed of this accident. He sympathized with the family and gave them two hundred thousand naira (N200,000.00). The money was not enough to take care of Chukwuma’s medical bills and the family contacted the Speaker again. The Speaker, according to some sources, told the family he had been magnanimous to them and would not contribute further to Chukwuma’s treatment.

Uche Nwosu is Abia State Correspondent for the Daily Independent newspaper. He wrote a story on this accident on October 5, 2005, and again on October 17, 2005. According to Nwosu, the family found a private hospital in Enugu where the bullet in Chukwuma’s skull can be removed successfully. The cost of this surgery is about one million, eight hundred thousand naira (N1,800,000.00). The family cannot afford this cost, therefore Chukwuma remains in coma. His left side is paralyzed.
 
Elendureports.com contacted Chris Uwakaleme a few days ago. He is Chukwuma’s father. He refused to speak with us. Our investigation revealed that the family has been harassed and threatened by the Speaker and his people. Vivian Uwakaleme is Chukwuma’s mother. She is a magistrate in Umuahia. There are indications that her job may have been threatened. Uche Nwosu, the Daily Independent reporter who first reported this accident was also threatened and harassed by the Speaker and his agents. According to Nwosu, “I am sure the family has been threatened. After I wrote the first story and a follow-up, I tried to contact the family when I heard they had come back from Enugu. The family would not talk to me. I was very surprised and after a while I left them alone. I knew something was wrong. I was threatened by the Speaker’s people too.”  Another source told Elendureports.com, “The Speaker is using State machinery to intimidate the mother and she’s keeping mute for fear of losing her job.”

Ariyo sees the situation as “a choice between protecting the parents and safeguarding the child. I am not prepared to stop and let this child die because his parents are too afraid to fight for him. Chukwuma must not die. And how many children will die before Stanley Ohajuruka gets ‘magnanimous’ enough to stop the evil act of his security guards shooting into the air?”

We tried to contact Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu, Abia State House of Assembly Speaker, Stanley Ohajuruka, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, and the Commissioner of Information. We were told the Governor was out of town. The Speaker was unavailable to comment for this story, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor told us he could not talk to us as he was in a conference.
 
Elendureports.com spoke with the Abia State Commissioner of Information, ACB Agbazuere. We asked the Commissioner if he was aware of Chukwuma Uwakaleme’s plight and the following exchange ensued:
 
ER: Sir, we want to know if you are aware of the incidence of September 30 last year which involved a six year-old boy that was shot in the head by the Speaker’s security aides?

Agbazuere: I’m not aware of it. You are just telling me about it.
 
ER: Sir, are you saying you are not aware of this boy that was shot in the head?
 
Agbazuere: I am not aware of it…you are just telling me. If somebody is shot they should report to the police. Am I the police?
 
ER: Sorry, I wanted to know if your Government is doing anything to help this boy.
 
Agbazuere: Why are you asking me this question? You are in the US and asking me what is going on in Abia. Are you the one to tell me or am I the one to tell you what is happening here?
 
ER: But Sir…
 
Agabzuere: Are you aware that with the meager resources we have there is free education in this state?
 
ER: But we are talking about a little boy here?
 
Agbazuere: Why are you interested in the negative things? You people sit there and think you can make your living from negative things…why are you not asking me about the good things we are doing for Abia people…the free education, good roads and how we are changing the lives of people…and you are asking me about somebody shot in the head…they should go to the police.
 
ER: With all due respect sir, your last comment is ludicrous…
 
Agbazuere: How can you call me to ask me questions? Am I the Commissioner for the Speaker?
 
ER: You are the Commissioner for Information for the State…why can’t I ask you what is happening in the State?
 
Agbazuere: That is the problem with you people…
 
ER: No sir. The problem with you people is that you think the citizens are your servants and you are our Lords and masters.
 
Agbazuere: That is your problem…because you are in the US!
And the Information Commissioner of Abia State hung up on us.
 
Elendureports.com called the Commissioner back.
 
ER: Why would you hang up the phone in the middle of our conversation?
 
Agbazuere: Listen, I am also a journalist. Don’t tell me nonsense.
 
ER: Sir, you are the one talking nonsense.
 
Agbazuere: That is your mother. It is your mother that is talking nonsense. It is your mother that is stupid!

ACB Agbazuere, Abia State Commissioner of Information, hung up the phone again. Elendureports.com will continue to follow this story.

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