The killing of Odunukwe: how it may have happened

Many have been asking: how did it happen that a billionaire businessman, Odunukwe, went with his land documents to meet a buyer and ended up falling into the hands of killers, who forced him to sign the contract, killed him and dismembered his body before burying in bags?

How come that he was alone in such circumstance? Indeed, Odunukwe’s lawyer who drafted the land sale contract had offered to accompany him to the meeting with the buyer, but Odunukwe declined with an excuse that he would stop over at Ikoyi Club on his way.

It will now seem that Odunukwe lied to his lawyer in order to ensure that he went to the meeting alone and without even a driver. Why? It must be that that was what the buyer requested – that Odunukwe must come alone. And why did such request not raise his suspicion?

The answer for this puzzle may lie in the comment made by a participant in our forum. He wrote:

” This same murderer was previously charged with a similar crime in 2016, he gained bail in 2018 at Kuje Prison, same method of killing his would be property seller and then taking over the property, he claims to be a Medical Doctor based in Belgium, alias (Fake) Dr. Charles. He is very fluent in English and very convincing, but Cold blooded killer.”

“This is what I suspect is how it works for him to swindle, he takes his would be client through the entire property search process over a reasonable time, this includes title search, then informs the client that he is a Govt VVIP and will not want to be seen with any 3rd parties including lawyers on the day of supposed payment, this means the seller comes alone with vital documents. The seller is forced to sign the documents then killed and the property is transferred signed off or with forged signatures and then sold off to another unsuspecting customer in a few months. He must have serious land verification contacts.”

“He is very fluent in English and very convincing”. A person calls himself a doctor and sounded like one. He claims to be a highly placed official of government, and probably drops a few names to convince you. The transaction amount is almost a billon naira, so that did not sound like what regular criminals would be interested in. In fact, Odunukwe could not have seen how anyone could steal his land from him. So he went ahead, to his death.

The crime boss! He was charged with similar offence in 2016 but was granted bail. While he was in prison, he lived like a big boy. He attracted the following of poor inmates who had been in prison for years because judges denied them bail and kept them in prison until they were acquitted many years after.

While in prison this crime leader attracted the following on one Bash (Bashorun). Bashorun was charged with armed robbery. No real evidence against him. But the judge denied him bail and kept him in prison until 2019 when the same judge found him not guilty because there was no evidence to convict him. While in Kuje prison, Bash was poor and without food. But Dr. Charles was a big guy in a single cell. He needed boys to serve him and attend to his every need. Big people in prison live as big or nearly as big as they do outside. The extreme poverty of the poor makes the influence of the rich rather remarkable. Bash became they boy of Dr. Charles. He washed his clothes and served his every need. In return, Dr. Charles protected him from the ravaging poverty of the poor in prison.

The same court system that denied Bash bail for 5 years despite the fact that there was no evidence against him: the same system granted bail to Dr. Charles despite the overwhelming evidence against him. Bash was too poor to be entitled to the presumption of innocence, while Dr. Charles was too rich to be denied that presumption. So, Dr. Bash was granted bail just after a year and he perfected the terms within a few months, and left the prison, while Bash remained behind to face his poverty induced fate.

While outside, Dr. Charles maintained contact with Bash and would send him a few bucks now and then. Bash’s hope of life after prison depended on the promises of help from his boss, Dr. Charles. So, he remained loyal to his former prison boss.

In 2019, more than 5 years awaiting trial in prison, the judged admitted what he had known few months into the case  – that there was no evidence against Bash. The court discharged and acquitted him and he left the prison a happy man and looking forward to rebuilding his life. But it is impossible to rebuild your life with nothing – no money, no education, no skill. The importance of Dr. Charles in Bash’s life loomed even larger. Bash was happy to be well received by Dr. Charles.

Now both Dr. Charles and Bash are standing trial for a heinous crime of murder of Chief Odunukwe.

DPA may disclose the identities of the judges involved in the cases of these men while they were in Kuje prison.

As DPA has promised you, we are in the best position to educat e the world on the inner workings of the Nigerian justice system. Please be on the lookout for the evolving case of Mohammed Adoke, the former Attorney General of Nigeria. He will be in Kuje Prison on Monday. Adoke is going to be the only Nigerian to be charged in the Hallliburton case.