A father’s regret , I brought him from London to serve his fatherland. Yet, they killed my son


The killing took place eight months ago but for Elder A. N Opkokiri, the brutal murder of his son, Obinna, in Giade, Bauchi State, by hoodlums during the post-election violence, has left an indelible mark.



Obinna, a graduate of Abia State University, Uturu, and nine of his colleagues, undergoing the National Youth Service in Giade were killed by hoodlums on April 18.

Engaged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the elections, Obinna and the other corps members did their work diligently during and after the presidential elections on April 16, after which they retired to their lodge to rest.

But two days later, as the results were being released, protests broke out in parts of the north and Giade, a hitherto peaceful town in Bauchi State, was one of those engulfed.

Obinna and his colleagues fled to the Giade Police station after their Corpers’ Lodge in the town had been attacked by a group of hoodlums, who were angry that their candidate was losing the election.

At the station, Obinna and his colleagues were helpless as the police on duty could not calm the hoodlums, who had gone berserk. They eventually overpowered the policemen and killed a female police officer and the corps members before setting the station ablaze.

The bereaved father’s positive impression of the people of the state after the unfortunate event nearly changed after his son’s murder but for the approach of the state governor, Isa Yuguda.

“When this thing happened, I thought there were no people living in Bauchi. I was very angry with the way things went initially. If anybody had told me that this type of thing would happen to me, I would say it was a lie.”

Opkokiri, who spoke with this reporter in Israel, admitted that the manner in which his son, who was undergoing the national service in Giade, was killed initially left a bad impression about the North in his mind.

The retired civil servant from Abia State revealed that but for the loving sympathy displayed by the governor of the state, Mallam Isa Yuguda, he initially wondered if those living in Bauchi were human beings at all.

Opkokiri, who was among the 399 pilgrims sponsored by the Bauchi State Government to Israel, commended the governor’s gentle and kind disposition during the family’s ordeal.

He maintained that although all the sympathy and show of love by the governor and the people of Bauchi State towards the bereaved family would not bring Obinna back, the gestures had gone a long way in healing the wounds of his son’s untimely demise.

He said his meeting with the governor had also cleared the erroneous impression he used to have about Yuguda.

Okpokiri said he would remain eternally grateful for the love shown to his family by the state governor in their moment of grief.

He said the pain of losing Obinna, whom he described as a very kind-hearted person that deeply cared for others, was a shock.

He said: “Before they were killed, we were told that Obinna was encouraging his colleagues not to give up hope, he was encouraging them to be strong. Even when they were trapped at the station, I was told that my son was comforting them, assuring them that everything would be alright.”

But the situation went bad for Obinna and his colleagues as the account of a sister of one of the slain corps members showed.

Pleading anonymity, she said: “From what he was telling me when they were chased to the police station, I knew he was in trouble. My brother, who called us on phone did not want to say anything negative about their situation because he was a devout Christian. I asked him, please tell us, are they going to kill you people but he replied that ‘it is well.’ My brother told me that the DPO was trying to talk to the angry youths, who surrounded the station armed with dangerous weapons. Few minutes later we could not reach him on phone again.”

Elder Opkokiri said he still felt very sad that his son was murdered by the hoodlums. According to him, he regretted putting pressure on his son to come to Nigeria from his base in London to undergo the mandatory one year National Youth Service.

He said: “When Obinna finished his B. SC. programme in 2006, he went to the United Kingdom to live and work but I was not comfortable with the idea. I prevailed on him to come to Nigeria for the NYSC because his papers were not complete in the UK. I did not want him to be living there illegally.”

Obinna obeyed his father’s advice and he was among the 2010 batch of corps members posted to serve in Giade.

“Sometimes, I regret inviting him to come to Nigeria. He was a good bo, who was determined to be somebody in life and he worked very hard. I just wanted him to do the right thing because he was not living easy in the UK because of his papers. I believe my son is in heaven. I get on my knees everyday and pray for him.”

Elder Opkokiri said he had forgiven the people, who murdered his son but called on them to repent and accept God otherwise the blood of the innocent ones they shed would be on their head.

However, in all this, the bereaved dad said the magnanimity of Governor Yuguda throughout the ordeal of the family strengthened them and gave them a sense of belonging.

His words: “The governor was really concerned and touched and he has done quite a lot to heal the pains of the families and comfort us. He personally visited me in my home and his words of encouragement really made us strong. He has been a wonderful person and I want Nigerians to know that.”