Chapter Six: Aftermath
The news broke that night: Man Killed After Holding Ex-Girlfriend and Her Mother Hostage in Abuja.
Samuel had been shot in the shoulder and chest. He bled out before he could make it to the hospital. Chiamaka and her mother survived with minor injuries.
The next day, a video leaked—recorded by a neighbor. It showed Samuel pacing in the living room, holding the knife, shouting. It went viral. Social media buzzed.
#UsedAndDumped trended on Twitter.
Some called him a monster. Others, a victim. Debates raged on radio and morning shows.
In Otukpo, his mother collapsed upon hearing the news. She clutched his childhood photo, wailing, “You should have told me, my son. You should have told me.”
In Abuja, Chiamaka deleted all her social media accounts. She went silent for months.
But the story had only begun.
Three years later, a documentary titled “Used and Forgotten: The Samuel Oche Story” premiered on YouTube. It was made by a young filmmaker who had once shared a hostel with Samuel during NYSC.
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The film showed the emotional toll of one-sided relationships, economic imbalance in love, and mental health stigma among Nigerian men. It featured interviews with Samuel’s family, neighbors, former lecturers, and friends.
It sparked conversations in churches, online forums, and even government panels on mental health awareness. NGOs used the story to campaign against emotional exploitation.
But none of that could bring Samuel back.
To his mother, no documentary could fill the vacuum his death left.
To Chiamaka, no amount of therapy could erase the guilt—and the blood—from memory.
And to society, the question still lingered:
When does love become a crime?
THE END
A coolvalstories production
Written and developed by Valentine Nkemjika
It hurts wen been inlove with the wrong person and we humans should open up to partners of how feel about them instead of taking advantage of their love and emotions.
Yeah that’s true o
May Chiamaka no see peace in her life again for treating Samuel that way