Michael Egwu, the first child of his parents, left Makurdi, Benue State for Lagos in 2000 to seek better opportunities for himself, including education. Nine years later, his search for a better future was cut short by a police officer's bullet on August 19, 2009 at a road checkpoint.Eyewitness accountMike's guardian, who crave anonymity, told NEXT that her driver, Chidi and Mike, were on their way back home from her shop when the incident occurred. Chidi was driving her vehicle, a red Toyota Sienna. A recharge card seller who identified himself as Steve, said he was down the road from the checkpoint at the time of the shooting. Steve said that the vehicle was stopped by police at the checkpoint on 52 Road in Festac Town and from what he could tell, the police officers got into what sounded like an argument with the occupants of the vehicle. Steve said he could not make out what the argument was about. According to him, the Toyota Sienna moved forward about 50 metres towards where he was, and then he heard two gunshots. Steve said the vehicle stopped close to where he was and Mike stepped out. Just then, two of the police officers rode up on an Okada (commercial motorcycle) they had waved down to see what was happening."When they (police officers) got here, I heard the driver shouting at them, ‘you wan shoot me too, shoot," said Steve. "After seeing what happened, they asked the Okada man to turn back, and they went away, all of them. They didn't arrest the driver or anything."By then, according to Steve, Mike had struggled across the road and tried to speak. No sound emerged and he slumped in the middle of the road.Steve said that Chidi then sped off, leaving Mike in the middle of the road. Mike's guardian said Chidi came home to tell her that Mike had been shot.She said that by the time she and Chidi arrived at the scene, a crowd was arranging to take Mike to the hospital. He was taken to Ituah Hospital, 512 road, J Close, Festac town, on a Keke Marwa (commercial tricycle), where the doctors contemplated whether to attend to him because of the gunshot wound. The doctors later referred Mike's case to Ikeja General Hospital, but it was too late.Field of dreamsBorn in October 1976 to Godwin and Owo-Oche Egwu, Mike, as he was popularly called by his family and friends, had always played big brother to his seven siblings. After he finished from Army Command School, Bauchi, he convinced his father to let him move to Lagos."He wanted to raise the family up," said Christopher, his youngest sibling who has just finished secondary school. "He wanted us to further our education, so he wanted to make money to send (to) us, especially me. He loved me so much."Michael's father, in a telephone conversation, described his son as likable. He remembered going to the farm with Mike after he retired as a master warrant officer from the Nigerian Army. He said the last time he saw Mike was in December when he came home for Christmas.According to Mr. Egwu, his son was also his friend, especially after losing his wife, Mike's mother, in 2003."He's my tomorrow's future," Mr. Egwu said, sobbing. "I still don't know where I am now. I don't know how I am now. I am the only son of my father, now I have lost Mike. I trained him. Mike doesn't disobey me. He loved farming and assist me on the farm."Hustle and flowWhen Mike arrived in Lagos, life was not easy. For eight years, he washed clothes and cars, mowed lawns, and was a casual worker with Amuwo-Odofin Local Government in its street beautification programme. Earlier this year, he got admitted to study political science as a part-time student at the Lagos State University."It was the high point for him," said Nixon Anyanwu, who had known Mr. Egwu for four years. "He was aspiring for councillorship in Otukpo, his hometown in Benue State in the next election. That was the reason he wanted to study political science."Three days before his death, Mike had shared one of his dreams with Mr. Anyanwu after a party."He...had plans to go into farming," Mr. Anyanwu said. "He complained a lot about how much food costs in Lagos. He spoke about a plot of land his father gave him at his hometown, and how he could be bringing food to Lagos at a cheaper rate. He said he would discuss it with someone at Amuwo Odofin Local Government, to see if the local government could reach an agreement with him that could benefit the indigenes as well."BuddiesEven though Mike supported a different club side - Chelsea FC - he was on good terms with Ofonime Umoh, an Arsenal fan."Sometimes, we would argue into the night talking about football," said Mr. Umoh who knew the dead student for four years. "He once joked about joining Arsenal one day (that) Chelsea didn't do well. Everyone knew he was joking. He used to be one of the organisers of MAGNUG (an annual end-of-year party for youth in Festac town). Five days to his death, he called some of us to highlight some things he wanted to handle."Mr. Umoh, who also came to the shooting scene after receiving a phone call and found his friend sprawled on 52 road, said they were close."I thought it was a brush, but when I saw the amount of blood on the car seat, I knew it wasn't something small," he said.Killer copThe Festac police officer who shot Michael Egwu is believed to be in the custody of the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti Yaba, Lagos. A senior officer of the homicide department who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "I know about this case that a police officer in Festac shot the student. We have since arrested the officer and he is in our custody. It was one officer that shot the guy, not officers, as is been alleged. I am sorry; I cannot tell you the name of the officer."Parting wordsMr. Umoh said he was angry at the circumstances surrounding Mike's death."Mike would rather want to please you and displease himself," he said. "I still remember blood coming out of the bullet hole each time he tried to breathe.""He was a sweet boy," said his guardian. "So respectable and likable; there is no one that came across him that didn't get anything good."
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