Ebonyi
State Police Command has confirmed the murder of a man, Philip Ugwu, 60, by
suspected worshipers following a land dispute in Afikpo Local Government Area.
Public Relations Officer of the command, George Okafor said in Abakaliki that the incident occurred at Amebo-Ndebo village.
Public Relations Officer of the command, George Okafor said in Abakaliki that the incident occurred at Amebo-Ndebo village.
Okafor
said the matter was reported to the police on September 30 by the wife of the
deceased, Abani Ugwu and added that one Tochukwu Okoh, an evangelist, has been
arrested in connection with the incident.
He said
the deceased’s wife alleged that Okoh and three others attacked her husband
with stones. The officer also quoted the widow as saying that her husband, who
could not withstand the attack eventually became unconscious and was rushed to
a hospital where he was confirmed dead. He said his body had been deposited in
a mortuary and would undergo autopsy.
The
spokesperson said the divisional police officer for the area led a team of
detectives and anti-crime patrol officers to the scene and arrested the
suspect.
“We are
currently on the trail of other suspects and I am sure that they will soon be
arrested due to the useful information at our disposal,” he said.
“We
assure the public that the matter will be investigated thoroughly while the
culprits will be duly prosecuted,” he said. The victim, popularly called Boxer
or Coach, was said to have argued with the worshippers in a new generation
church over the erection of a fence to demarcate their lands. We heard Boxer’s
wife screaming that her husband had been attacked by some worshippers and
before we could get to the scene, he was lying unconscious.
“He was
immediately rushed to the hospital, but his wife identified one of the
attackers, still with a stone, who was immediately apprehended and handed over
to the police.”
“The
victim’s wife explained that he had purchased and built on the parcel of land
even before the church came to lay claim over it,” a witness who preferred
anonymity said.
The
witness said the matter had previously been reported to the traditional
council, during which the head pastor of the church, still at large, was
invited.
-Sun
News
No comments:
Post a Comment