Gunmen abduct Prince Arthur Eze’s brother…Kill immigration officer in Onitsha

By EMMANUEL UZOR, Onitsha
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, yesterday kidnapped the younger brother of oil magnate, Chief Arthur Eze, who is a traditional ruler of Ukpo, Dunukofia Council Area of Anambra State, Igwe Robert Eze. Daily Sun gathered that the kidnappers stormed a Catholic church in Ukpo where the monarch had gone to worship and whisked him away in their vehicle. 

It was not certain what transpired during the incident, the kidnappers laid siege to the church where the monarch had gone to worship and took him away after shooting sporadically in the air apparently to scare people away. The police in Anambra state confirmed the incident, adding that the monarch was kidnapped early yesterday from the church. Igwe Robert Eze is the younger brother to Chief Arthur Eze and also the traditional ruler of Ukpo in Dunukofia council area of Anambra state.

Also, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, yesterday in a commando style, struck at Nkpor junction, Idemili North area of Anambra State and killed one and kidnapped two prominent men. Though the true identity of the kidnap victims was not confirmed as press time, Daily Sun gathered that the kidnappers storm Nkpor junction, at about 7 pm, shooting sporadically before kidnapping their victims. An eyewitness said when the shooting stopped, a young Immigration Officer living at No 32 Obosi road simply identified as Chi Chi was hit by stray bullet from the assailants’ rifle inside her room. 

The kidnappers, who drove Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) were said to have trailed one of their targets from Abatete to Nkpor junction where he was kidnapped and later came back and whisked another victim. According to the mother of the young Immigration officer who was killed by the stray bullets, she was in her room with the deceased when the shooting lasted. She said that it was when the deceased started shouting that she knew she had been hit in the stomach. The woman said the incident was like a scene from an American movie, disclosing that while the kidnappers were shooting, the whole street was deserted but they watched the incident live through the window. 

“the shooting became too much and I looked through the window and saw the kidnappers walking freely while the victim they kidnapped was put into the SUV. It was at that time that I told Chi Chi to close the curtain because the shooting was much, immediately, she started shouting my stomach my stomach, and I switched on the light from my handset and saw blood all over the room” She further said that they rushed the girl to the hospital where she was confirmed dead by the doctor who told them that the bullet affected the deceased’s liver. 

However, the policemen from Ogidi Police Station arrived the scene few hours later after the incident. All efforts to get police reaction proved abortive as the mobile phone of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO was switched off as at the time of filling this report.