Family of murdered RSU law student cries for justice

Monday, March 9, 2020 11:15 pm

The late Miss Itonyo Maltida Mark

…We may not get justice due to the lack of money to fight to the end—Father, Ebikili ltonyo

…Police yet to charge any suspect to Court, 3 months after murder

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Tears flowed freely over the weekend at the funeral of the late Matilda Itonyo, a final year Law student of Rivers State University, RSU, who was murdered in her Eagle Island, off campus residence in Port Harcourt on December 10, 2019.

At the funeral held in her home in Bayelsa State, the family of the late student also lamented what they described as ‘shoddy investigation’ of the murder by the Rivers Police Command.

They noted that three months after Matilda’s murder, there seem to be no headway in the efforts to bring the murder of the multi-talented student to justice.

According to the family, hints from the result of the autopsy conducted on the remains of the Matilda indicated that she was stabbed to death with a broken bottle because pieces of it were found on her body.

It will be recalled that the Rivers State Police Command through its spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, had said that the ex-boy friend of the late Matilda was arrested in connection with the murder.

However, the suspect is still in police custody and has not been charged to court.

Another suspect, a lady who was a friend to the late student was also said to have been arrested because days after the death of the law students, she was tracked using her phone.

But Matilda’s Father, ltonyo, is begging the government of her home state of Bayelsa and the Rivers State Government to assist the family in getting justice for her slain daughter.

“My daughter struggled to make it and somebody will just come to take her life like that. It’s a very painful thing. l don’t even know what to do. Let the government come to my aid. People of Nigeria, people of Bayelsa, people of Rivers State, please come to my aid to get justice for my daughter”, he passionately appealed.

Matilda’s father expressed fears that investigations into the death of his daughter maybe swept under the carpet due to lack of money.

“Every where you go in the pursuit of this case, there is the painful demand for money. Without money you go no where as far as this case is concerned. There are lawyers who want to join us so that we work as a team. So we need assistance from anywhere, whether the State Government, the University authorities or concerned public spirited individuals touched by my daughter’s gruesome murder.

“We are willing to pursue this case. I can’t allow my daughter who l have invested so much to just die and go like that. l want to get justice.”

The late Matilda’s course mates, friends and church members who attended the burial spoke in tears as they recalled the deceased’s many talents as a ballet dancer, hairstylist, model, singer with a potentially promising career as a lawyer.