By Emmanuel Enebeli
ASABA/Nigeria: The family of Joan Onyemaechi, also known as Ada Anioma, has disclosed that the body initially thought to be hers is not that of their sister. This revelation comes after her kidnapping on Tuesday, plunging the family into confusion and distress.
“There has been no communication or ransom demand from the kidnappers since the incident,” a family member revealed. “This lack of information has fueled our suspicions that something was amiss.”
The confirmation that the deceased is not Joan Onyemaechi raises many questions. The family is demanding answers, justice, and truth. “We need to know why she was kidnapped, and who is responsible for this heinous act,” a family spokesperson stated. “We deserve transparency, accountability, and closure. It is the responsibility of the authorities to ensure we receive it.”
Joan Onyemaechi, a former member of the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal constituency in the House of Representatives and a former Delta State lawmaker and Commissioner, was kidnapped on Tuesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital. Social media posts have claimed that she was murdered and her body dumped near the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge, but the police have refuted these reports.
Delta State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, described the social media posts as rumors. “There is no update on the kidnap case as no contact has been established with the abductors since the incident occurred on Tuesday,” Edafe stated.
Earlier, THEWILL, an authoritative online newspaper, reported that a source close to the investigation claimed the remains of a woman, heavily bruised and suggesting severe torture, were found near the Niger Bridge. “She was found dead and fully stripped with severe wounds around 7:30 pm on Thursday. It appears she was battered to death,” the source told THEWILL.
Her abduction came days after the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) issued a press release on the state’s deteriorating security situation, calling on the State Police Command, other security agencies, and the State Government to address the issue urgently.
