The death of Ukamaka Chukwuka, a mother of 6, who was killed during an exchange of gun battle between the police and suspected armed bandit in Enugu on May 10th 2024 has devastated the family.
Ukamaka who was full of life was returning back from work to join her family who lives at no 105 Kaduna street, Obiagu road when she met her untimely death.
The life of Ukamaka and two policemen were cut short by bullets during an exchange of gun battle between the police and suspected armed bandit at police checkpoint between Presidential Road/Nkpokiti junction.
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The husband of the deceased, Obinna Chukwuka who lived in a one room apartment said he had a deep discussion few days before the incident with her wife on their family’s prospects, principally on their first child, age 14, who will gain admission into secondary school in Enugu, “little did I know that she won’t be alive to witness the admission “.
Narrating how his wife died, Chukwuka, a Carpenter who hailed from Achi in Oji River, Enugu State said “I am yet to come to terms with the sudden demise of my wife who has been supporting me to raise our children.
“My wife, Ukamaka was a cook in one of the eateries along Rangers Avenue and in her usual manner had gone to work and closing around 9 pm decided to treck home.
“That night I had waited for return until 9pm and went to a place in Obiagu Road to wait for her. I waited till 10pm but there was no sign of her. I called her phone severally and it continued to ring out. So I decided to go and look for her.
“On getting to Nkponkiti junction, I saw several policemen. One of them stopped me and demanded where I was going. I told him I was looking for my wife and he ordered me back home. I returned to the house by midnight.
“I did not sleep that night. By 6am the next morning, I was already on my way to search for her. On that Nkponkiti junction, I saw some people gathered together and discussing. I went and asked whether anything happened there and one of them informed me that a woman was killed last night and her body had been removed from the gutter and taken away.
“I walked towards the gutter and saw her wears and immediately raised an alarm. It was from there that I was directed to Ogui police station, where they took me to the Eastern Nigeria Medical centre mortuary where her corpse is deposited “, he stated.
“My problem is how to raise the six children she left behind. I need help. My wife was the breadwinner of the family. I need help as much as possible to bury my wife and take care of the children. Two are still in the Nursery, three in the primary and one in the secondary.
It could be recalled the Commissioner of Police, *CP Kanayo Uzuegbu said the incident occured while conducting stop and search along Presidential Road, Enugu, as the police men suddenly came under attack by armed hoodlums suspected to be IPOB/ESN criminal elements, who operated in three SUV jeeps.
Meanwhile, Governor Peter Mbah has placed a N10 million bounty on the criminals who caused the tragedy that consumed Ukamaka and the police officers.
The Governor while briefing newsmen after a State Security Council meeting at the Government House, Enugu, recently said that the state would go after the culprits with every resource at its disposal to bring the killers to book.
