
Members of the Logara community in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State have called on the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, to conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Warrant Officer (WO) Vitalis Eke.
The soldier’s death, which occurred on June 16, 2024, in Aba, Abia State, was officially reported as a suicide. However, the community suspects foul play and believes Eke was assassinated.
In a petition addressed to the GOC, 82 Division, Enugu, and obtained by The PUNCH, the Logara Community Development Union, through their representatives I.C. Otti and Max Amadi, expressed their concerns and doubts regarding the Army’s suicide narrative.
The petition detailed the community’s belief that there is more to Eke’s death than meets the eye.
“Our client is the highest governing body in the Logara autonomous community, Ngor Okpala Local Government Area, Imo State,” the petition stated.
“The crux of the matter is that on June 16, 2024, our clients were heartbroken to discover that the alleged suicide involved their son, Warrant Officer Vitalis Eke, who hailed from Awogwu village, Logara.”
The petition further explained that emissaries sent to Aba to gather first-hand information from the Army authorities and to check on Eke’s wife and family found them taken to an undisclosed location, later identified as the Army Operational Base at Ngwa High School.
The community delegates were denied access to this facility, despite identifying themselves and their mission to senior officers.
Seven days after the incident, the Army had not released any official statement or notified Eke’s family about the circumstances surrounding his death. This lack of communication has only fueled the community’s skepticism.
The petition questioned the Army’s initial report, which claimed that “findings revealed that the SNCO decided to take his life based on some of the allegations against him,” despite the absence of a suicide note.
The petition read in part, “The attention of our client was drawn to information on the social and conventional media on the 16th of June 2024 to an alleged suicide incident, committed by an Army officer in Aba, Abia State.
Our clients were heartbroken to subsequently discover that the alleged suicide involved their son, Warrant Officer (WO) Vitalis Eke, who hails from Awogwu village, Logara autonomous community, Ngor Okpala LGA.”
The community members expressed further concern over the Army’s handling of the incident, including the immediate removal of Eke’s family from their home and the prevention of any interaction with them.
This secrecy has led to suspicions of a cover-up, prompting the community to demand a comprehensive and transparent investigation.
Efforts to reach Army representatives for comment were unsuccessful as calls and messages to the spokesperson went unanswered.
The Logara community is now urging the GOC, 82 Division, to investigate the true cause of Eke’s death and provide transparency and justice for the deceased soldier and his family.
As the situation unfolds, the community hopes that their pleas will be heard and that the circumstances surrounding WO Vitalis Eke’s death will be thoroughly investigated to either confirm or dispel the allegations of foul play.
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