Awka – There is uneasy calm in and around Awkuzu motor park, in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, following the death of one Mr Chidiebele Victor Anichebe, aged about twenty-five, who was reportedly shot by a Navy officer, who just returned at their base in the community, after attack on them by unknown gunmen.
The incident which occurred last Friday, is coming months after another young man from the same community was allegedly killed by policemen, a little distance from the scene of the latest incident, for overtaking their patrol vehicles.
The military personnel were said to have returned to their base at the junction after unknown gunmen attacked them earlier this year, killing about four of the personnel.
Sources at the junction, who spoke with TNC correspondent, said on return, the Navy officers had started forcing passersby to “hands up” while crossing their base, alleging that a Naval officer shot the victim, who was on a commercial motorcycle, heading to Igbariam.
When TNC visited the family of deceased at Umuobi village, Awkuzu, 85 years old father of the deceased, Mr. Iloegbuna Anichebe, explained how he came back home that fateful Friday to meet an assemblage of people in his compound, at which point the news of his son’s untimely death was broken to him.
“All I know was that I returned home that day and saw people gathered everywhere. When I asked, they told me what happened. My son was a young man who was working hard to make a living an all of a sudden, these people terminated his life. I don’t know what to say. All I know is that they murdered my son for nothing,” he lamented.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs Josephine Oluchukwu, who couldn’t hold back tears while recalling her last minute discussion with her deceased son before his life was cut short, said her son Chidiebele, was a trained photographer and plumber who had a promising future.
According to her, her grief was that even when the soldiers shot her son and he was asking what his offence was, they refused to take him to the hospital, describing his son’s murder as premeditated.
“My son left my shop and was about going to collect some of his work tools. It was when he crossed the express road and was about to board a bike that they shot him. He fell down immediately but was still alive. The soldier came and placed his foot on his chest while he was bleeding away. My son was asking what he did wrong but they left him there. Even the people who tried to come to his rescue were harassed with gun by the military men and they ran away. It was when he became weak that they now put him in the vehicle and took him away. Later they called his brother to come and pick him at the mortuary,” she narrated.
The grieved mother cried out to the government to give her son justice, insisting that her son has never been accused of any form of crime but was always working hard to make ends meet.
“Chidiebele has never involved himself in any crime so why would they kill him? These are security personnel who are supposed to protect that are now killing innocent citizens. I need justice. My son’s blood must not go in vain,” she sobbed.
She further for the release of the deceased corpse to enable the family give him a decent burial.
TNC investigations revealed that the Navy officers at the junction paid courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of the community yesterday, Monday.
