Welcome back from the long weekend – but we can’t say the
news is welcoming. There was a double drowning in Orange walk, murders in Belize
City and Cayo, and the Cross Country Garland belongs to a Mexican. So while
the news isn’t all that good, we’ve got a very full newscast. And
we begin in Belize City – which had been relatively peaceful over the
long weekend – yes there were crimes, but nobody was killed – that
is up until last night.
A Nigerian Taxi Driver was found dead in his car at 10 on a street
off Jane Usher Boulevard. He had been vicious stabbed and slashed. It’s
a particularly ugly death and a completely bewildering one for his family who
can’t figure out why their brother who was studying to be a nurse, was
executed in such a remorseless fashion. Jacqueline Godwin has more.
Godwin Silas, Brother of Murder Victim
“He came here 2000 and he has been here trying to survive his life,
trying to make it, but it end up so.”
Today the Nigerian community is mourning the vicious murder of one of its own.
According to family and friends who gathered early this morning outside of the
Belize City morgue thirty six year old Nelson Onwunali Uwaoma was studying to
be a nurse and was scheduled to sit his final exams in October at the University
of Belize. But that won’t happen because just after ten on Monday night
a person or persons murdered the student inside this car he drove as a taxi
driver to make extra money.
The family says they are at a loss as to why anyone would want to kill their 
loved one because as far as they know, he had no enemies. But one thing they
do know for sure is that he was intentionally killed. Equally disturbing is
that police say when they arrived here at the crime scene on Levi Slusher Street,
they found the bloody body of the taxi driver in the back seat of his own car.
Godwin Silas,
“He was stabbed multiple times. He was stabbed in the chest, in the
throat, at the head – everywhere they could. They really came to assassinate
him. They didn’t come to rob him. They came to assassinate him.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How close were you to your brother?
Godwin Silas,
“He is my blood brother. We lived in the same building.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So if anything was troubling him, Nelson would have told you?
Godwin Silas,
“He would have told me because I was with him in the morning and in
the evening before he left. He would have told me if he had a problem. He would
have told me but he didn’t tell me anything.”
Although police say neighbours remembered hearing screams they have no leads
much less why Nelson Uwaoma was killed which is no comfort to his grieving brother
Godwin Silas who said his brother came to Belize nine years ago from Nigeria
to seek a better life.
Godwin Silas,
“But with the type of wound and the stabbing they gave him, I can
suspect that is just an assassination.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But why would anybody want to take his life?
Godwin Silas,
“I don’t know. He is guy who goes to work, he doesn’t
make problem with anybody.”
How come the nelson ended in the back seat of his car is anybody’s guess.
Was he kidnapped or someone asked to be drop somewhere and then kill him?
Godwin Silas,
“Because he must have screamed because mein they really stabbed him.
They cut his hands, they stabbed him on the chest, they stabbed him on the neck,
they stabbed him everywhere, up to ten times in the face.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Do you believe it is one person involved or more than one?
Godwin Silas,
“More than one because one person cannot do such a thing. It had to
be more than one.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Where did he work, where was his cab stationed?
Godwin Silas,
“He was stationed at Mahogany Street by Jasmine and I think that is
where he picked the people.”
Today the Nigerian taxi community say it has become too dangerous for them
to operate at night and appeal to authorities to do the right thing.
Godwin Silas,
“We were trying to get ourselves together, especially the cab drivers,
so we can see the Minister and talk about this thing because really in the night,
we used to drive our cabs both in day and night but we can’t drive in
the night again. We are not making the money and when these guys get to you,
they would request for the money and you aren’t making it and if you don’t
give them the money, you are in trouble.”
Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7News.
Police don’t have anyone detained at this time.
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