‘I was jailed 2 years for taking a neighbour to hospital’

An awaiting trial inmate who recently regained freedom has narrated how he was accused of killing his neighbour who he claims he helped to take to the hospital.

Chidiebere Onwumere, a native of Umuagbaghagha village in Osisioma LGA in Abia State, narrated his ordeal to our correspondent after his release from prison in Afara, Umuahia, on Wednesday.

He said it was a bid to save a neighbour that caused him to suffer injustice.

“I came back to where I was residing at Umujiji, Isiahia Osisioma, around 6pm after two weeks in my village where I went to harvest and process palm fruits, only to see my neighbour lying helplessly and very weak. I decided to assist her to the hospital with the help of other neighbours since none of her blood relations was around.

“A pastor who resides within the neigbourhood took us with his car to a nearby hospital called Shiloh Hospital where the doctor asked us to deposit N5,000 to enable him conduct a test that would determine what was wrong with her. I and some other neighbours contributed the money and made the deposit. When the result came out, the doctor told us that she was on substance overdose and was knocked out by the illegal substance.

“The next morning, Promise (the elder brother to the deceased), came to the hospital and insisted on taking her away to another hospital against the doctor’s advice. He insisted and took her to an unknown destination.

“After a few days, Promise came back to our compound and took me to World Bank Police Station, Aba, where he handed me over to the police claiming that I beat his sister to death.

“Despite pleas by neighbours and other relations of the deceased that my hands were clean and that there was a doctor’s report stating that his sister died of substance abuse, Promise insisted and filed a murder charge against me in a magistrates’ court and I was arraigned and remanded in prison since June 2016,” he added.