Family of woman beaten to death in Awka hotel petitions police

The family of a woman, Chinyere Awuda, who was beaten to death in Cosmila Hotel, Awka, Anambra State, on July 16 and the body dumped into a pool, has petitioned the police, alleging conspiracy.

The family stated that their daughter was a victim of conspiracy and intentional murder.

Recall that Chinyere was said to have gone clubbing in DFame Nightclub at Cosmilla Hotel on July 16 but only to be found dead in an abandoned swimming pool in the premises the following morning.

The Awuda family in their petition to the state’s Commissioner of Police through their lawyer, Eziafa Enwedo of Rigota Chambers, said their daughter was murdered by her killers without resistance by the hotel management.

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The petition is entitled, “Call for Thorough Investigation of Conspiracy, Murder With Intent to Commit Rituals; Accessory After the Fact to Murder of Miss Chinyere Awuda, Attempt to Compound Felony by Coaxing the Deceased Family into Accepting Settlement Before Conclusion of Investigation.”.

The petition is against Chinemere Hope Gabriel (aka Bullion Van), Steven Junior (aka Exclusive), management of Cosmila Hotel and Suites Ltd, and others at large.

The family said the deceased was gang-beaten to death by the suspects under the watch of bouncers and security of the nightclub and the hotel.

The family alleged that the investigating officer at the B Division, the suspects and the hotel management were coaxing them to accept a settlement prior to the conclusion of the investigation.

The petitioners asked the hotel management to provide a comprehensive CCTV video of what happened both inside the club where the beating started and outside where the actual murder occurred.

But the hotel, in a statement signed by Mr Stanley Akuneziri, the Awka branch manager, said the deceased was not beaten to death and dumped in the swimming pool as claimed by the family and a section of the media.

The hotel said it would act in the public interest at all times and that it was open to a thorough investigation of the matter.

Reacting, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra, said the command was aware of the case and that four suspects had been arrested in relation to it.