From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Police in Benue are trying to unravel the circumstances behind the death of a missing woman whose body was found in the North Bank area of Makurdi, the state capital.
Joy Ogochukwu Onoh, 24, a graduate of Benue State University, who traded in clothes and shoes, was reported missing by her mother before her corpse was found by authorities on Wednesday, having apparently been killed by an unknown person(s).
The victim had gone to supply customers at North Bank on Tuesday but did not return home, reports say.
According to a childhood friend and university classmate, Patience Onuche, Joy had informed her that she was going to supply a red turtle neck top to an unidentified customer on Tuesday.
Joy’s mother, Mrs Grace Onoh, said she made several efforts to reach her daughter on her phone when she had not returned by evening.
‘Her phone kept saying number busy as we kept calling. At a point, she now called back crying and only asked that her UBA account number be sent to the phone and the phone went dead. We made several efforts to reach her thereafter but it wasn’t possible,’ Mrs Onoh said.
Mrs Onoh, a widow of 12 years, said Joy, who was waiting to be mobilised for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was self-employed, engaged in sales of t-shirts, men’s shirts and women’s wears online, whilst also doing home delivery.
Mrs Onoh said she reported her daughter missing at the Police D’ Division but was asked to wait for 24 hours before she could be declared missing.
The mother, who spoke to our correspondent at her residence, said before she could be declared missing, Joy’s corpse was found at the Low-Cost Federal Housing Estate at North Bank.
Confirming the report, police spokeswoman DSP Catherine Anene said the matter was reported to the police.
‘On the 20th of October at about 7 am, a corpse of a young lady was recovered, but before then a case of missing a person was reported. A young lady was reported missing. The family reported that she had gone out to deliver clothes. So the police started the search.
‘On 20th October 2021 (Wednesday) at about 7 am, the corpse of the young lady was discovered in a nearby bush at Federal Now Cost Housing Estate.
‘Her name is Joy Onoh of behind NUJ House. The corpse has been deposited for autopsy. For now, we have no explanation for the cause of the death but in due time we will communicate with you accordingly.
‘No mark of violence at the spot but it is not for us to tell what happened. The doctors will tell us better. She is aged 24,’ Anene said.