Emeka Onyejiekwe’s close encounter with death.
3 min read
Had it not been by Providence, Comrade Emeka Onyejiekwe, a high profile Akalite, a fearless commentator on national issues and a good governance activist would have been a dead man on Sunday May 2, 2021. The insecurity in Imo State and other parts of the nation would have claimed the life of another innocent fine gentleman for no reasonable and just cause. The tragic incident according to what Umuaka Times gathered was like a scene in a Hollywood movie; too sharp. Too quick and the damage is done!
A group of old boys who graduated from High School Umuaka in 1981 had a meeting in the Owerri residence of Dr Austin Agbahiwe who himself, was among the old boys of the same institution of 1981set. After they had finished their meeting on the said date around some minutes after 8 o’clock at night, they said their closing prayers and left for their hotel.
Mr Emeka Onyejiekwe, Mr Peterlaz and Mr Sisco were all seated in the same car going to their hotel where to pass the night. While getting to the library axis along Bank Road as they approached the Weatheral Roundabout in Owerri, in the words of Phil Collins, “something happened on the way to heaven.” Suddenly, Peterlaz who was driving the vehicle saw a road blockade in the middle of the road. The road blockade was mounted by the soldiers from the Nigerian Army who did so in order to control speeding vehicles as a result of the insecurity in the state.
According to what Umuaka Times gathered, the road was less busy and it looked as if it was late at night due to the little presence of vehicles on the road. The old boys were fully aware of the bad security situation in the state, and they were speeding to reach to their hotel under a calm circumstance.
Suddenly! From nowhere came thunderous shouts of “stop there! Stop there!!” As Peterlaz was about to obey the stop there order and possibly submit themselves for a search, sounds of gunshots rented the air. Peterlaz almost lost concentration as he was now into a complete dilemma, not knowing if to stop or continue as the gunshots had struck fear into him. In order to avoid any carnage, he decided to speed off from the scene and off they zoomed.
At this time, the old boys were in deep shock thinking if the people who shot at them had suspected them to be gunmen, kidnappers or armed robbers.
Mr Emeka Onyejiekwe at this juncture was yet to realize that one of the bullets had hit him on his scalp.
According to him “It was later I knew that I had been injured due to blood gushing out of my head. I started crying,– please Peterlaz, don’t let me die. Go straight to FMC,” Onyejiekwe pleaded.
Because of the trauma they had faced, Mr Peterlaz could not realize the direction where FMC was located. Post traumatic stress syndrome immediately set in. Onyejiekwe was losing a lot of blood from his head as his face and shirt had suddenly turned red due to unending flow of blood from his head.
He too didn’t remember where FMC Owerri was located by that time. Francis Eburuo, another old boy in the vehicle was at the back shivering. The door glass of his side of the car was shattered too.
Fortunately they made it to FMC after spending about two hours on the road due to traffic logjam. Because the case was an emergency and how Onyejiekwe was crying out, the doctor on duty immediately swung into action and put Onyejiekwe on drip in order to control the flow of blood.
To ascertain the extent of damage, an x-ray of the skull was carried out in the morning the following day and it was medically established that his brain or skull did not suffer any damage.
From what Umuaka Times gathered at press time last week, Onyejiekwe was in a stable condition and was seriously complaining of pains and headache.
Akalites both home and abroad have been thanking God for saving the lives of the 4 gentlemen who went to hell and back as a result of the insecurity in the state.
