By Ozo Felix, Abakaliki
Mysterious death of Chairman, Ezza North Local Government Area branch of
the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Ernest Odu, may have scared
members of the party in Ebonyi State.
  Family of the diseased is said to have raised suspicions, demanding for autopsy.
  Odu, a lawyer,  was reported to have slumped and died in a three-star
hotel owned by one of the APC chieftains from Ebonyi State at Upper Chime Avenue, Independence Layout Enugu, during a meeting of the Dr.
Ognonnaya Onu-led faction of the APC.
  A family source said though the exact cause of Odu’s death could not yet be declared, the family would
approach the police for an autopsy, adding that there was strong
suspicion that the deceased might have died of food poisoning.
  He alleged that the mystery surrounding the death of the chairman
might not be unconnected to his opposition to the emergence of APC
governorship candidate from his council for the 2019 general
election.
  The source said that the deceased attended the party meeting, healthy, saying that having died after he was served food and other consumables
during the meeting fuelled the family’s suspicion.
  Piqued by the development, a group under the auspices of Ezza Youth Vanguard has called on the Ebonyi State Police Command and the State
Security Service to unravel the cause of the death of the deceased to
avoid further speculations and accusation.
  The group in a press release authored by its Chairman, Comrade
Chukwuma Nworie, expressed worries as to how the young lawyer would die
under the circumstance.
  “We receive with great shock the death of our brother and legal
practitioner and the controversy surrounding his death. We therefore call on the State Police Command and the Department of State Security
Service (DSS) to investigate the death to put an end to speculations. We
have heard some people allege that he died in a hotel, the police
should unravel the true story of what happened and if there are any foul play, then necessary action should be taken.
  “We won’t just allow our son to die and nothing is heard or said about his death. The best we can do as a people is to unravel the
controversy surrounding his death and fraying nerves calm”.
  Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu,
confirmed having heard of the incident but said that the matter had not been formally reported to the command.