Richard Onumegbu’s family has demanded justice after he was allegedly beaten to death by four Navy officers.
According to a family source, Richard, a civilian staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Lagos State, was targeted by the officers at the instigation of a woman who frequently bullied him.
Despite working at the ministry’s laboratory for 15 years, Richard faced relentless harassment from the woman, who insulted him as a “dog boy.”
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On March 26, when Richard confronted her, she called the officers who brutally attacked him, resulting in his death on Easter Sunday, March 31.
The family claims the Navy has withheld information about their investigation into the matter.
The family source said, “Richard Onumegbu was a civilian staff of the Nigerian Ministry of Defence. He worked there for 15 years and he dedicated his life to that ministry. He worked in the laboratory.
“Unfortunately, on March 26, 2024, Richard did not come home. His family and his sister who he was living with was worried, unknown that Richard was being beaten, brutalized and battered for seven hours. He was beaten from 8pm on March 26 to 1am March 27.
“His crime was that he loves taking care of dogs. One of his bosses was not around and left his dog in Richard’s care. After work, as usual, Richard went to take care of the dogs.
“There is a particular lady living in the compound that is always bullying Richard. Whenever she sees Richard, she calls him ‘dog boy’. That day, he decided to stand for himself and told her he had had enough of her bullying.
“They had a little bit of altercations and the lady tried to slap him but he tried to defend himself and being a man, he had the upper hand but he did not beat this lady.
“Because of the whole back and forth, Richard pinned the lady on the floor and he asked her to apologise to him before he could let her go. Understanding that she had wronged him, she apologised to Richard and he let her go. He never laid his hand on the lady.
“Unknown to Richard, the lady went to mobilise and came back with five Navy officers. They came there and four of them, without listening to Richard’s side of the story, started brutalising him. They kicked him, punched and beat him.
“They beat him to the extent that he was filled with sores and swollen. Unfortunately, on Easter Sunday, his family got a call that he had died.
“To show much Richard loved the Navy and his job, with the bruises in his body, he still went to work and he died at work.
“Jungle justice is what they did to him. They took away the joy of the family. Took away a promising young man that had so much to give. All we want is justice.
“We want justice. The Nigerian Navy failed him when he was alive. This case is looking like it is going to be swept under the carpet. They are hiding details surrounding how far they are going with the interrogation of the people who perpetrated this act.
“The Nigerian Navy are covering a lot of things. They are not saying anything to the family. They are saying that they cannot divulge the information of the case to the family.
“We want justice for him and we cannot keep silent. Governor Sanwo-Olu, please come to our aid. We need justice for Richard. He was taken from us abruptly. He had dreams.
“This could have been your son or your brother or happened to anybody. He worked there for 15 years, and to think that he died at the hands of the Nigerian Navy makes it worse. Justice must prevail.”
