What Happened to Cynthia for those who wanna read the whole story all over again?
24 Year Old Cynthia Osokogu left Abuja in late July 2012 (According to reports, on the 22nd of July 2012). Like many enterprising young people, the post-graduate student of Nasarawa State University was a clothing retailer and had travelled to Lagos to purchase new stock.
24 Year Old Cynthia Osokogu left Abuja in late July 2012 (According to reports, on the 22nd of July 2012). Like many enterprising young people, the post-graduate student of Nasarawa State University was a clothing retailer and had travelled to Lagos to purchase new stock.
Cynthia had been chatting with some new
“friends” on Facebook for a few months. In the course of their
conversations, they developed a friendship and a level of trust. These
young men were also university students, they seemed normal and promised
to host Cynthia when she came to Lagos.
What we know is that, these 2 young men picked Cynthia up from the airport in Lagos and drove her to a hotel in Festac. At the hotel, they tied her up, robbed her of all the money she brought to shop for her business and strangled her to death.
They then left the hotel and quickly deleted her from their facebook friend list to remove any trace of their connection.
The hotel found her body and since her ID cards and mobile phone had been stolen, they could not identify her or call friends and family.
Her body was deposited in a morgue in Lagos.
All this time, her family and friends were praying for her safe return.
The hotel found her body and since her ID cards and mobile phone had been stolen, they could not identify her or call friends and family.
Her body was deposited in a morgue in Lagos.
All this time, her family and friends were praying for her safe return.
How the Killers Were Caught
At some point, one of the culprits accidentally answered Cynthia’s phone and the call was traced to Festac. Therefore, her missing person’s police report was submitted to the Area E Command in Festac. This enabled her family to find her body in the morgue and also led them to the hotel.
At some point, one of the culprits accidentally answered Cynthia’s phone and the call was traced to Festac. Therefore, her missing person’s police report was submitted to the Area E Command in Festac. This enabled her family to find her body in the morgue and also led them to the hotel.
Using CCTV from the hotel, the killers
were identified. According to reports, these two young men are
university students who have now confessed that they killed Cynthia and
she is their sixth victim – the gang reportedly specializes in luring
unsuspecting young women, robbing them of their possessions before
killing them. Though there is speculation that their motive was
ritualistic, it appears that it was greed and their main goal was to rob
and kill. The pharmacist who supplied the drugs used on Cynthia and
hotel staff have also been arrested. According to Police
spokesperson Ngozi Braide, “Six people were arrested on Sunday over the incident and investigations are ongoing”.
What we can learn from this
We have seen so many online comments judging Cynthia. This could have happened to anyone. With social media, this false sense of comfort and trust can be very misleading. We know couples who met on Facebook or BBM groups and are still together. If you ask them if they took security measures to protect themselves when they first met, many will confess that they did not. We hear of friendships built on twitter and BBM, where the first meeting was in the home of one of the friends. The truth is anything can happen. You have to be savvy and wise.
We have seen so many online comments judging Cynthia. This could have happened to anyone. With social media, this false sense of comfort and trust can be very misleading. We know couples who met on Facebook or BBM groups and are still together. If you ask them if they took security measures to protect themselves when they first met, many will confess that they did not. We hear of friendships built on twitter and BBM, where the first meeting was in the home of one of the friends. The truth is anything can happen. You have to be savvy and wise.
Cynthia was the only daughter and
the last born of her parents – Ret. Major General Frank & Mrs Joy
Osokogu. She was dotted on by her three elder brothers and parents. She
was vibrant and enterprising. Everyone misses her so much! May Cynthia’s
gentle soul rest in peace.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Tribute to Cynthia by her best friend, Aishatu Ene Ella
In the last few days I have seen had my heart torn, stripped and broken in pieces first by the disappearance and death of my Dearest friend and secondly by the wickedness exhibited by Nigerians, passing judgment on someone they never knew or met.
Tribute to Cynthia by her best friend, Aishatu Ene Ella
In the last few days I have seen had my heart torn, stripped and broken in pieces first by the disappearance and death of my Dearest friend and secondly by the wickedness exhibited by Nigerians, passing judgment on someone they never knew or met.
When she was officially declared meeting
we put up a number online so people with information can call and help
out, of over 500 calls we received in 3 days, only 2 of those calls were
from people who actually helped with information. One was my dear
friend Nuhu Kwajafa, the other was the Area Commander who called to
inform us of the arrest of the people. The others were heartbreaking to
say this least, I wondered how her mother would have coped if she had to
deal with silliness, pettiness and undeserved hate from strangers, who
just took one look at a lady and decided to judge her based on her
looks.
When the sad news of her death broke, I
made a comment and said I hope “all those who have insisted she was with
a man would have their answer now and let her rest in peace” how wrong I
was, They wouldn’t rest, they would only go back and manufacture a more
hurtful and painful story, formulate more rumors and pass it around as
facts, hmmm it is well. I have no comments for hateful people, I just
want to share with you the real Cynthia, the Cynthia we knew not the one
who hateful people have created in the last few days.
Cynthia was born on 10th of November
1987 to Gen Frank and Joy – Rita Nkem Osokogu, Udoka as her Mother named
her, even as a baby was a uniting factor in her family. Her Mother had 3
boys before her, she was the last baby and only girl.
Her Parents had settled in Jos where we were and still neighbors, We became friends because in those days there were only few houses in the area. I was the last child and so didn’t have a lot of playmates my age, her brothers were my mates and Cynthia as the only girl didn’t have much friends around the neighborhood either so she tagged along when we had our “adventures” and “yawo”.
Her Parents had settled in Jos where we were and still neighbors, We became friends because in those days there were only few houses in the area. I was the last child and so didn’t have a lot of playmates my age, her brothers were my mates and Cynthia as the only girl didn’t have much friends around the neighborhood either so she tagged along when we had our “adventures” and “yawo”.
Cynthia the Model and Business Woman
2004 was one of the hardest years for the Family I was raised with in Jos, Cynthia and her Mom was with me all the way. They were there to comfort, assist, cook etc.
2004 was one of the hardest years for the Family I was raised with in Jos, Cynthia and her Mom was with me all the way. They were there to comfort, assist, cook etc.
She was a tall beautiful and slender
girl, we always teased her because even at 13 she was taller than me and
the same height with her brothers, she was a tomboy all the way.
Determined, stubborn and focused. As she grew into her height Her Mum
and I playful suggest she try modeling because of her structure, Cynthia
took it seriously, even though her major focus was education she gave
modeling a trial and did quiet well as a model.
In 2007, she got her first major run way
job and I will never forget the day she called me from Lagos after she
had been paid, she said she wouldn’t want to waste the money and would
buy clothes and bring to school to sell. The first badge of clothes
never made it to keffi as industrious Cynthia who staying with her
brother during her visit at Airforce Quarters sold the clothes to her
brother, his colleagues and their friends, she told me she made 3 times
her capital and immediately re-invested, bought more stock, came to
Keffi and rented a shop, that was the birth of her Baby: “Dresscode”.
I remember I bought her the forms to one
of the national competitions some years ago, she passed the screening
passed 2 stages and called me one day to say she was asked to compromise
to get through the next round, I told her to withdraw and she left.
That was in 2011. She never entered any major pageant after that.
When it came to business Cynthia was
midas, she knew when to make a great sale, she was never at a loss, her
business grew from strength to strength all this while she was not even
21, @ 21 a lot of the people who now make it a point to formulate such
hateful rumors were still struggling to buy Jamb Results.
Cynthia the Sister and Daughter
Cynthia was like the baby sister I didnt have, She was my confidant, stylist and a great comfort. We shared a lot, tears, smiles, laughs, joys ,sorrows and was always at my service. She was greatly involved in charity, anytime I sent a text or posted a picture of someone needing medical support, I could count on Cynthia as one of the first respondents. When she was in Abuja, she would always come and volunteer, run errands, always with a smile. When I get to Jos, she will be at the motor park waiting, Thats if she doesnt pick me up from Abuja. Not to forget my person Stylist, she either bought or chose most of my clothes, most times my friend say “you look nice” i tell them “ask Cynthia oh, I have no idea what I am wearing”. Style has never been a strong point of mine, but if Cynthia bought it or asked me to buy it I knew it was good and stylish
Cynthia was like the baby sister I didnt have, She was my confidant, stylist and a great comfort. We shared a lot, tears, smiles, laughs, joys ,sorrows and was always at my service. She was greatly involved in charity, anytime I sent a text or posted a picture of someone needing medical support, I could count on Cynthia as one of the first respondents. When she was in Abuja, she would always come and volunteer, run errands, always with a smile. When I get to Jos, she will be at the motor park waiting, Thats if she doesnt pick me up from Abuja. Not to forget my person Stylist, she either bought or chose most of my clothes, most times my friend say “you look nice” i tell them “ask Cynthia oh, I have no idea what I am wearing”. Style has never been a strong point of mine, but if Cynthia bought it or asked me to buy it I knew it was good and stylish
To her Mother, Cynthia was her heart.
Several times I will ask Cynthia please dont go to Jos it is volatile
and she will reply me ” Mumsy is alone at home”, or when she is in Jos
and there was a fight I would call and ask her to leave Jos and come and
stay a few days with me, she will say “I cant leave Mumsy alone here
now” . That was our Cynthia, Others first.
When it was time to serve, while others would work their service to areas full of opportunity like Abuja, Lagos and Porthacort, Cynthia worked her service to crisis ridden Jos to be close to her Mother, Is that what a “runsgirl” does?
When it was time to serve, while others would work their service to areas full of opportunity like Abuja, Lagos and Porthacort, Cynthia worked her service to crisis ridden Jos to be close to her Mother, Is that what a “runsgirl” does?
At age 24, Cynthia had a successful
business, and was running a Post Graduate Program in Public
Administration, sadly people will ignore all that and choose to believe
that because she is pretty and Young she must be a “Runsgirl”, how sad,
we Judge people by our own low and shabby standards.
She earned every kobo she had by good
old hard work, Lets even forget her Father supported her financially but
that didn’t turn her to a spoilt brat she was as determined as ever to
make her own mark and earn her own keep.
The world and people who have no
standards can stand afar and Judge all they want but we know who you are
and we love you, we don’t need to defend You My baby, just setting the
records straight.
The security Situation in our country
now is horrible at best, people are kidnapped, robbed and killed
everyday, why is it so hard to believe that a young girl was killed
while going to pursue her legitimate business? If It was a man who was
killed would we have come up with all these stories? If it was an older
woman or someone not so attractive would we still? Her crime is being,
young, pretty and a business woman. Hmmm, People, Have the decency to
let us mourn in peace. Please.
Aishatu Ene Ella.
May her soul rest in perfect peace..
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