Violent Demonstration In Anambra Community

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Residents of Umudege and Ezihu villages of Igboukwu, Aguata Council Area of Anambra State were thrown into confusion following a violent demonstration by youths of the community over the alleged killing of one of them by gunmen on Sunday night.

The incident, occurred few hours after gunmen suspected to be kidnappers allegedly abducted Chief Stephen Azike, the father of EcoBank General Manager, Lagos, Mr. Ifeanyi Azike in Igboukwu Community on  May 11, 2014. Chief Azike regained his freedom on Saturday morning after staying with his abductors for five days.

It was gathered that trouble started when some residents of Umudege village, Igboukwu woke up and beheld the gory sight of the lifeless body of a young man in his late twenties suspected to be a student of the Federal Polytechnic Oko and last son of the owner of Moonshine Hotels.

According to the Secretary General, Umudege Improvement Union, Igboukwu, Mr. Uche Umenwagbo, the incident, though still hazy, occurred shortly after gunmen had invaded the village and kidnapped Ifeanyi Azike’s father.

He said that the lifeless body of the deceased was discovered with bullets wounds in his stomach near the compound of the father of the EcoBank’s boss, which threw the entire village into confusion.

Mr. Umenwagbo said, “initially, the information was that the deceased was a victim of the bullets from the kidnappers’ guns but later, the story changed and a group of youths mobilised and began violent demonstration, accusing the commander of Umudege Village local vigilance group of killing the deceased.

They went round the village, chanting war songs and making bonfire on the roads.”

Another resident of the area who pleaded anonymity said he encountered the angry youths on his way home yesterday and later discovered that they had made several bonfire on the roads in protest against the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of the youth.

When Daily Sun visited Igboukwu community, the entire Umudege village was as quiet as a graveyard as the residents were yet to recover from the shock of the violent demonstration by the youths.

The house of the Umudege vigilance group’s boss, Mr. Vitalis Ezofor and the village town hall were vandalised by the rampaging youths.

Though no life was lost, our reporter gathered that the rampaging youths destroyed property worth millions of naira, including cutting down economic trees across the village while the Umudege village town hall was vandalised and completely destroyed.

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka said he had not received the information at the time of filing this report but promised to get back to the reporter.

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