Mother of murdered Port Harcourt student cries for help

One of the parents of the students murdered by a vigilante group at Omuokiri Village in Aluu Community of Rivers State has petitioned the Senate  President David Mark.

Mrs. Chinwe Biringa, mother of the killed Mr. Chiadika Biringa, a second year student of Theater Arts at the University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT in the petition to the Senate President and dated 9th October, 2012 was titled ‘’Petition: Gruesome murder of my son at Aluu, University of Port Harcourt host community.’’

According to her, allegations that her son and others were murdered was as result of a stolen Laptop and Blackberry was false against the backdrop that her son had a laptop computer and Blackberry right from his days in the primary school.

Mrs Birinda who noted that the family has been going through pains following the incident and what they watched, however called on the Senate to intervene by ensuring that justice was done and the perpetrators brought to book, adding, ‘’We do not want this thing to be swept under the rug like most Nigerian investigations.

‘’We seek the help and intervention of the Senate to ensure that justice is done. Justice is the only thing that can assuage the pains and emotional traumas consuming us and clear the name of our son so that he can rest in peace.’’

The petition read, ‘’My name is Mrs. Chinwe Biringa. I am the mother of Mr. Chiadika Biringa, a second year student of Theater Arts at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT). My husband is a very senior staff officer at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

‘’My son turned 20 years old this week and we gave him pocket money to celebrate it with his friends. On Friday morning, we were called by my second son, also a UNIPORT student, that all was not well and he was hearing bad rumours that villagers at ALUU, the host community of UNIPORT had murdered four students. I immediately rushed to the scene only to see my son’s dead body being taken away naked to a mortuary in UNIPORT Teaching Hospital. I could not believe my eyes and collapsed.

‘’What did my son do? What did the other three young men who died with him do? First, we heard that the four students were alleged to have stolen a Blackberry phone and a laptop computer. This could not be further from the truth. My son has had a Blackberry phone and in fact a laptop computer since he was in primary school. No way could my son steal such a common thing as a cell phone which every village woman now owns.

‘’We have been subjected to several gory videos and pictures on the internet. This shows that someone filmed the whole barbarism from beginning to end. My son and his friends were savagely beaten and burnt to death while villagers at ALUU watched. All this has been caught on film!

‘’The video shows that all this was filmed in broad day light which suggests that they were killed after 7.30 am. Further investigation has revealed that they left their friend’s house at ALUU at about 7 am to go and prepare for lectures.

‘’To waylay them and beat them with planks until they died like chicken is the most savage thing one can witness in Nigeria of 2012. First they were stripped naked, marched around like frogs and then beaten to death. What savagery and bestiality.

‘’My husband and I want only two things, namely:a) To clear the name of Chiadika, b justice

‘’Your Excellency, every responsible parent knows what I, my husband, and the entire family are passing through over this beastly murder.

‘’Again, and for emphasis, the film shows everything in clear view and all the perpetrators must answer for their crimes.

‘’We want Justice. Those who murdered my son must face the wrath of the law. Heartbroken mother.’’