Senate probes death of Cross River undergraduate

The Senate has initiated moves to investigate the circumstances which led to the death of one Miss Joy Odama who died from acute overdose of cocaine, allegedly administered on her by one Usman Adamu.

The action of the Senate, followed a Point of Order from Senator Rose Oko who had asked the Red Chamber to investigate the “dastardly act committed on the person of one of her constituents, Miss Joy Odama.”

The 19 year-old Odama, until her death was an undergraduate of University of Technology, Cross River State. Odama was said to have been holidaying when on the 18th of December 2016, a friend of hers invited her to the home of one Alhaji Usman Adamu who was introduced to her (Odama) as a philanthropist.

Two days after she honoured the invitation to Adamu’s house and when she didn’t return home on time, her mother placed a call to her. In that conversation, Odama told her mother where she has been and assured her that she will be home soon.

According to Senator Oko, when the deceased did not return, her mother made several other calls, but by that time, her daughter’s phone had already been switched off.

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The mother rushed to Alhaji Adamu’s house, but was allegedly denied entry. But the next day, police officers from Karimu station, informed her that her daughter was sick and admitted in the hospital.

The police officers, according to the lawmaker, refused to disclose the hospital, but returned to inform her the next day that her daughter had died and her body embalmed and deposited at the mortuary in Federal Medical Centre.

Oko narrated how Police tried to bury the matter by advising that the parents be compensated with N400,000. On lawyers advice, the money was collected as exhibit and a later autopsy confirmed that the young lady had died of acute cocaine poison.

Oko who wants justice done on the matter, ‎is asking the Senate to request the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the matter and bring perpetrators to book.

The matter has been referred to the Senate Committee on Police and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative action.

 

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