Tragedy struck on Thursday at Orba, Udenu Local Government Area of
Enugu State, when a middle-aged vulcaniser, Stephen Eze, allegedly
hacked his friend and business neighbour, Mr. Ikenna Anayo Omeje, to
death over N100 debt.
A source told Saturday Sun that the
suspect, Mr. Eze who hails from Edem Ani in Nsukka Local Government
Area and the deceased, Mr Omeje from Umuafia Orba in Udenu council, had
been the best of friends for close to three years before the ugly
incident.
According to the source, trouble started, when the
deceased was said to have decided to build his own shop few metres
away from his friend’s workshop.
The suspect was said to have
warned him several times that he had become arrogant because he had made
money to build his own shop and buy a new motorbike.
However, on
that Thursday morning, Mr. Omeje took his motorbike to the suspect’s
shop to change its back tube, and was charged N300. He paid N200 and
promised to pay the balance of N100 in the evening.
It was
gathered that when the suspect left for Nsukka to buy some materials,
Omeje went to his workshop and collected the repaired motorbike.
The
source further said that, when the suspect returned and couldn’t see
the motorbike, he sent his apprecntice to the deceased’s shop to bring
back the motorbike or collect the balance of the money.
The
apprentice went and delivered his master’s message. However, Omeje told
him that he had resolved to pay his master in the evening. This didn’t
go down well with the boy, as he decided to roll back the motorbike to
their workshop.
The deceased then followed him, and when they
got to his workshop, he was said to have asked Eze the reason he asked
his boy to collect the motorbike.
It was then a quarrel ensued and the suspect allegedly hit him on the head with a rod and he fell and became unconscious.
According
to the source, when the suspect discovered that the deceased had lost
much blood, he locked his door and fled. Omeje was immediately rushed
to Nwaossai Foundation Hospital, Orba, where he died yesterday.
However,
some youths in the community who were infuriated by the circumstance
surrounding the death of Mr Omeje launched a manhunt for the suspect,
and was apprehended when he came to collect his two children at
Central Primary School, Orba.
The youths descended and beat him
to coma, and wanted to set him ablaze, but for the timely arrival of
policemen from Orba Police Post.
Saturday Sun investigation
revealed that Omeje until his gruesome death was the only surviving male
child of his family as his elder brothers had also died tragically some
years ago.
The officer in charge of the post confirmed the
incident, and explained that they rescued the suspect from the youths,
who were hellbent on burning him alive. He however stated that the case
has been transferred to the Divisional Police Headquarters Obollo-Afor
for further investigation.
The body of the deceased has been deposited at Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka.
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