Following the uneasy calm that held Aji community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State, spell bound in the recent past over several killings in the community, men of the Force Headquarters, Abuja, last weekend, swooped on the community, arrested the chairman of the neighbourhood watch and two others while others allegedly fingered took to their heels.
Crime Guard gathered that the arrest of the chairman of the neighbourhood watch, Mr. Joseph Azegba, and two others identified as Jude Ali and Okwu Ugwuanyi, was in connection with a petition written by the family of Oforma Itodo who was slain four days after burying his mother and Obinna Onoja, who
was equally hacked to death barely one week after Oforma was killed within the month of March, 2014.
The peace-loving community was thrown into confusion following the porous crime situation as the inhabitants and visitors could no longer discuss issues of common interest freely.Even before the two most recent killings, fear, anxiety and confusion enveloped the ancient kingdom of Aji community as people restricted their movement in apprehension of being killed or maimed.
How Obinna was killed
The middle-aged Obinna Onoja, was butchered to death on the flimsy reason that he stole an undisclosed item from the compound of a top Enugu State government official who hails from the community. A competent source who pleaded anonymity intimated that , “Obinna was allegedly killed over an unestablished fact by a group that parades themselves as ‘Aji neighbourhood watch’. He was an unemployed youth who ekes out living from menial jobs, he was never known as a bad egg in the community, whatever informed his assailants to kill him was yet to be made public. Two suspects said to have played major roles in the gruesome murder were identified as hunchback and Otiyo.
Investigations revealed that the assailants were alleged to have used axes and machetes to chop off his toes, tortured him severely to death before a team of policemen from Enugu State Special Anti robbery, SARS, who were earlier alerted arrived. Before his arrest by detectives from Force headquarters, Abuja, Chairman of the neighbourhood watch, Joseph Azegba, told Crime Guard on mobile phone that his group has been hunting for Obinna for his alleged involvement in some criminal activities in the area.
According to him, “we apprehended Obinna along Aji-Ogrute road on March 21, 2014 and questioned him, after which we handed him over to the police for further interrogation.
We never tortured him to death as we only heard he has died. We contacted the DPO, Igbo-Eze North Police Division and the Special Anti Robbery Squad Enugu but did not contact the traditional ruler of the community. I cannot tell you what crime he committed as this is a phone talk, you may wish to meet with me for further details as we have been looking for him since November 2013,” he explained.
The killing of Oforma Itodo
Another victim, Oforma Itodo an escapee of the alleged dreaded Aji neighbourhood watch led by Joseph Azegba was hacked to death four days after burying his mother. A family source that witnessed the attack on their brother told Crime Guard that the group numbering over 50 men, armed with matchets, axes and guns, invaded their compound in the early hours of March 3, 2014, accosted Oforma and bluntly refused to hear from any member of the family who pleaded with them to know what was the problem.
According to the family source, “the assailants went straight to Oforma who was carrying his little baby, forced the baby out of his hand and started hitting him without any explanation before dragging him out of the compound to an undisclosed area where they finally finished him, abandoned his lifeless body and fled. We were thrown into bewilderment, and the confusion at the satanic invasion and killing of our brother four days after we buried our mother, we are yet to know the reason why he was killed, who are behind the killing, that was why we petitioned the Inspector -General of Police to unmask the killers of our brother,” he stated.
It could be recalled that the deceased, Oforma, before his death, had allegedly petitioned the IGP over threat to his life which was forwarded to Enugu State Police Command to investigate, the matter went to court but the petitioner was allegedly charged as an accused person instead of the complainant.
Disappearance from community
Luckily, the High court at Enugu allegedly discovered that the case was upturned against the complainant, discharged him and ever since then, his alleged assailants have been after him which forced him to disappear from the community. He came back to bury his mother only to be killed four days after.
Late Oforma who was popularly known in the community as“one kind man” has been evading the alleged killer group in the name of neighbourhood watch allegedly controlled by the top government official. Crime Guard investigation revealed that the killing of Oforma was to permanently cover up the startling confessions of a member of a rival neighbourhood watch who was earlier caught with dangerous weapons in the community. He allegedly implicated both the top government official and others over killings in the community.
Women protest
It was also gathered that earlier before the police from Abuja intervened, the upsurge in crime in the erstwhile peace-loving community irked their women numbering over 1000 to stage a protest over incessant killings. They went round the community and its environs with bold placards chanting sorrowful Christian songs. They also demanded the immediate dissolution of the police assisted neighbourhood watch led by Joseph Azegba (a.k.a Wayas). The women also complained of mismanagement and fragrant abuse of the neighbourhood watch that had been infiltrated by hoodlums and disgruntled politicians who want to use it to achieve their political goals.
The Chair lady of the women Mrs Amaka Uramah, a secondary school teacher and chairperson, Catholic Women Organization home and abroad, told Crime Guard that, “the worst among the killings before our protests was that of one Uche Nwaossai, who was killed and thrown into the family water tank, another victim, Festus Idoko was hacked to death and a brother to the incumbent chairman of Igbo-Eze North L.G.A, was killed while his lifeless body was found along the road.”
Contacted for comments, Enugu State police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu confirmed the death of Oforma Itodo, saying he was attacked by angry mob. He also said the deceased was mentioned by a gang already in prison custody in Enugu.
The Police Public Relations officer also said that Obinna Onoja was reportedly alleged to have been tortured to death before police arrived to rescue him.
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