Metro

Man Beaten To Death Over Alleged Plantain, Turkey Theft In Anambra

Published

6 months ago

March 9, 2025

Editor

A 26-year-old Chukwuemeka Igwuegbe has been beaten to death for allegedly stealing plantain and turkey in Anambra State.

The incident occurred at Ezinife Village, Okpuno, in Awka South Local Government Area of the state on October 22nd, 2024.

According to the father of the deceased, Mr Gilbert Igwuegbe, who disclosed this to journalists at his residence in Okpuno community on Saturday, he alleged that his son was killed under the directive of the Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Hon Prince Chinedu Okafor, over a prolonged land dispute.

He alleged that he was also beaten to stupor while trying to inquire why they were beating his son in his presence.

Moved by the pain and agony he suffered, Mr Igwuegbe, a farmer, petitioned Anambra State Governor Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, his deputy Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Anambra, and the State Commissioner of Police in a petition titled “Petition on the Murder of Chukwuemeka Igwuegbe at Ezinife Village, Okpuno, Anambra State.” The petition named the following individuals: Chukwunoso Benjamin Obidunma (aka Stamina), Obumneme Benjamin Obidunma (aka Ite Igwe), Izuchukwu Obidunma, Obiora Nwoye Obidunma, Mmorah Okeke, Ikechukwu Okeke, and Chinwendu Okoye.

In the petition, his lawyer, Mr Victor Momodu, accused the Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Hon Prince Chinedu Okafor, of sending the men who killed his son in front of his farm near his compound.

According to the petition, Mr Igwuegbe was returning from his farm on October 22nd, 2024, when he saw the men in front of his compound beating his son, late Chukwuemeka. When he asked why they were beating his son, one of them, Obumneme Benjamin Obidunma, slapped him and claimed that his son had stolen a turkey and plantains from a farm belonging to one Prince Chinedu Okafor.

The petition further stated that Mr Igwuegbe told them to take his son to the police if he had indeed stolen anything, but instead, they continued to beat him until he lost consciousness.

He demanded that they show what his son had stolen, but they could not provide any evidence.

“After our client’s son became unconscious, one of the boys, named Nonso Obidunma, slapped our client and claimed that his son had stolen a turkey and plantains from Prince Chinedu Okafor’s farm. At this point, our client told them to take his son to the police station, but they instead began to beat him as well and continued to beat his son until he became unconscious. Afterward, one of the boys, Nonso Obidunma, took his phone and made a call, saying they had completed the task. Our client heard the voice of Prince Chinedu Okafor during the call. Then, two security guards arrived, examined our client’s son, and called Prince Okafor to say, ‘The job is perfectly done.’

“In an attempt to save his son, our client took him, boarded a tricycle, and headed to the hospital. Unfortunately, his son stopped breathing on the way and was brought back to his compound. Our client reported the incident to the B Division Police, where he made a report to Officer Osumond, the IPO,” the petition stated.

The petition further claimed that the Igwuegbe family has been constantly threatened and harassed by Prince Chinedu Okafor’s family. The petition states that the named individuals have repeatedly come to the Igwuegbe compound, destroyed his property, chased away tenants, broken his fence, sold his gate, broken his borehole, and stolen household items such as rugs, a TV, a bed, a generator, a decoder, and a set of chairs.

Speaking to journalists, Mr Gilbert Igwuegbe, in tears, said that the family of Chinedu Okafor has been terrorising his family for years over a land dispute. According to him, Prince Chinedu Okafor, the Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, sent the men who killed his son under the pretext that his son had stolen plantains and a turkey.

In tears, Mr Igwuegbe said his son was beaten to death in front of his house, and he could do nothing to save him because some people believe he is nobody.

He accused the Okafor family of being responsible for his son’s death, noting that after petitioning the authorities in Abuja, they began to beg for a settlement.

He said, “Prince Chinedu Okafor came here with Pastor Joel Akpata, a lawyer, and another man from Abuja, and we agreed to make peace. I told them that they should bring the killers of my son to beg and admit that they killed him. If those people come to beg me, I will be satisfied, knowing that at least the killers have accepted their actions.”

During the meeting, they said they had heard him and would reach out to him later. After sending two or three people from my family, they promised to return, but until now, they have not. Later, they started asking me to meet the Igwe of the community, but I said, as a monarch, he should know that there was a killing, which he denied. I later went to see him. The Igwe narrated how Okafor Nwaja, who gave my first-generation family this land, and it was my father who gave his father their land.

He also mentioned that his father had begged his father to give his own father part of the remaining land, which he did.

“Recently, however, they have started fighting me over the same land, destroying my property, and carting away my household items. According to him, when the issue of death became serious, the Igwe said he was not aware and advised me to withdraw the case in court so that a settlement could be reached. I told him I could only do that if they signed a document giving up their claim to the land, returning the stolen goods, and compensating for the damages.”

“I told him it was not possible to withdraw my case in court before signing the document to relinquish their claim to the land and property.”

He also said, “It is not about money. He offered me ₦2 million to bury my son, but I told him I cannot accept even ₦100 million because it cannot adequately pay for my son’s death.”

He further stated that after some days, Prince Chinedu Okafor came to his house insulting him and his family, saying he would deal with him and use his biro to chase him out of the village.

He also called him and his children thieves. Mr Igwuegbe replied, “You are the one who is a thief and a criminal. You killed someone at Nnamdi Azikiwe University as the transport director before your father moved you overseas, where you were deported. I also told him that he sold the community’s electricity poles, and the police arrested him. So who is the criminal here?”

Mr Igwuegbe concluded, “I want the governor to assist me in getting their hands off my property because I do not have any other place to go. This is my compound. My father and great-grandfather are buried here, and I was born here 65 years ago. I want the governor to tell Prince Chinedu Okafor, who owns the farm where my son allegedly stole turkey and plantains, to take care of the medical and burial expenses of my son, return all stolen property, and compensate for the damage.”

In his reaction, Prince Chinedu Okafor denied any involvement in the beating or subsequent death of Chukwuemeka Igwuegbe, asserting that he had no reason to be involved.

However, he mentioned that Chukwuemeka Igwuegbe and others had been stealing turkey, plantains, and fish from his farm. “Chukwuemeka Igwuegbe is a criminal who goes from one prison yard to another. You are journalists, go and make your own inquiries about him, and you will see that he is a criminal. I am the Chief Security Officer of Awka South Council Area and I have the police and DSS with me. Why would I send people to kill him?” Okafor asked.

He continued, “I don’t care about the press or what they say. Yes, there was a murder, but the families involved are negotiating how to resolve the issue and bury the deceased.”

Regarding the damage to Igwuegbe’s property, he explained that the land dispute had been ongoing for a long time. He said that they began fighting over the land after discovering that Mr Igwuegbe was planning to sell it.

He noted that Governor Soludo and his deputy, Dr Ibezim, are aware of the case and the developments.
(TRIBUNE)

Metro

Four Die, Three Injured In Delta Crash

Published

19 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

Four persons have lost their lives while three others sustained injuries following a road accident that occurred at the Second Niger bridge in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

According to The PUNCH, the victims were rushed to St. Rebecca’s hospital on Monday.

Eyewitnesses said that the accident involved a truck and two other vehicles along the Second Niger Bridge.

“We saw a truck carrying cement and was at it speed trying to navigate through the bridge but couldn’t control it and it eventually fell.

“The truck crushed two other vehicles and many people died, others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to St Rebecca’s hospital along Nnebisi road,” an eyewitness narrated

Confirming the crash, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corp, Delta State Command, Frederick Ogidan, blamed the truck driver for being overly speedy.

Ogidan said, “They were trapped in the vehicle because the vehicle broke down, so our toll truck was there to rescue them.

“Four persons confirmed dead, the vehicle involved is not Dangote but a Bua truck that carried cement.

“It’s unfortunate that a crash will happen on that very good road, it shows that the driver was probably over speedy and lost control.”

Ogidan called on drivers to be more careful, especially during the ‘Ember months’.

He also urged them to obey simple traffic rules.

Metro

Youths Uncover Man Chained By Father For Five Years In Anambra

Published

2 days ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

There was panic in Igboukwu community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, when members of the community discovered a young man who was chained and locked up for about five years by his father.

According to eyewitnesses near the scene, the man in his mid-20s, identified as Chogbo, popularly called “Agudo,” believed to have travelled to Europe, was found chained and locked up in a hut since 2021 after a search by some youths of the community on Saturday.

One of the eyewitnesses, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “We were passing by near the hut yesterday (Saturday), when we started hearing some strange sounds coming out from the direction of the hut.

“A search was conducted, and when we got there, we found our brother with both hands and legs tied in chains.

“On interrogation, he told us that he had been chained and locked up in that place since 2021. We ordered for the keys to open the chains, and when they brought them, the keys could not open anymore because they have become rusted. We had to forcefully break the keys.

“The victim has been rescued and is receiving necessary medical care. The father told us he travelled to Europe, not knowing that our brother was locked up in a hut for five years without taking his bath. This is barbaric.”

A video currently circulating on social media also corroborates the claims. The viral video showed when the victim was discovered in a hut and being interrogated by the angry youths.

Confirming the development in a press statement on Sunday, the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the victim has been rescued and is receiving necessary medical attention at the hospital.

Ikenga said the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has commended the youths of the community for the proactive role they played in uncovering the incident, describing their action as a clear example of community partnership in policing.

The statement read in part, “Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has directed Police operatives to immediately investigate a disturbing report circulating in the media regarding a young man identified as Chogbo (popularly known as Agudo) from Igboukwu, who was allegedly kept in chains for five years by his father with claims that he had travelled abroad.

“Preliminary inquiries are ongoing to establish the facts, safeguard the victim’s well-being, and the Command assures that where culpability is established, those responsible will be held accountable in accordance with the law.

“Meanwhile, the victim has been rescued and is receiving necessary care.

“The Command commends the youths of the community for the proactive role they played in uncovering the incident, describing their action as a clear example of community partnership in policing.

“Further development shall be communicated, please.”

Metro

UNIZIK Suspends Doctors, Nurses, Security Personnel Over 100-level Student’s Death

Published

2 days ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

The authorities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, have suspended doctors, nurses and the security personnel on duty at the university’s medical centre following the death of a 100-level Law student of the institution, Miss Isabella Ajana.

The suspension was communicated to them in a statement signed by the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi and made available to journalists on Sunday.

Recall that Isabella, reportedly died on July 8, after being denied urgent access to her insulin medication due to an alleged demand for payment by her hostel manager.

The deceased, who was diabetic and a resident of Elmada Hostel, was said to have suffered a medical crisis after she and her roommates lost their room key, which contained her life-saving insulin.

In a desperate attempt to retrieve her medication, the students approached the hostel mistress, identified as “Madam Bright”, and requested the spare key.

However, according to multiple student accounts, “Madam Bright” allegedly refused to release the key unless the three roommates paid ₦120,000 — ₦40,000 each — in line with a purported hostel policy.

Despite explaining the urgency of Isabella’s health condition and their inability to raise the money immediately, their pleas were reportedly ignored.

Her condition quickly worsened, and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

The development triggered a series of reactions, public condemnation and online buzz that compelled the University authorities to constitute a committee to investigate the incident and the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.

The Committee, chaired by Prof. Mike Oddih, was mandated to thoroughly conduct their investigations and submit its report within one week.

However, giving an update on the incident about six weeks after, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, in the statement released on Sunday, announced the immediate suspension of the doctors, nurses, and security personnel on duty at the University’s Medical Centre on the day Isabella died.

Arinze-Umobi said the suspension will last for three months in the first instance, pending the conclusion and the outcome of the ongoing investigations.

The Vice-Chancellor further directed the Management of Elmada Hostel, which is a jointly owned, but privately-managed facility located within the university premises where the Isabella resided, to immediately sack the Supervisor on duty at the time of the incident.

The statement read in part, “Following the submission of the investigation committee’s report into the unfortunate death of Miss Isabella Chioma Ajana, a 100-level student in the Faculty of Law, I have taken decisive action to address the matter.

“Arising from the report of the panel, I hereby suspend the doctors, nurses and the security personnel on duty at the University’s Medical Centre on the day the student was rushed there, for three-months in the first instance, during which all investigations would have been completed.

“The University demands the management of Elmada Hostel which is jointly owned, but privately managed, as a matter of urgency, to sack the Supervisar on duty who was in custody of the spare key and could not return it after repented calls on her.

“UNIZIK will re-evaluate relationship with the Elmada hostel, demanding International best practices in students accommodation facilities.

“I wish to assure the University Community and general public that we are committed to upholding the highest standard of care and safety for our students in line with my vision, ‘feeling the pulse of the students, staff and finding solutions’.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and assure them that we will do everything possible to prevent such incidents in the future.”
(PUNCH)