Illustrative photo of a festival in Imo state
According to a report by Vanguard, the annual Ibo Uzo cultural
festival of Umuezeala, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State,
turned bloody, following what an aggrieved villager termed “senseless murder of a native of Umuihim-Oki in Umualumaku/Umuihim autonomous community.”
Trouble started when a section of Ezeala-Ezike autonomous community
opted to observe the festival outside the date chosen by the duly
recognized traditional ruler.
It was gathered that this section of the community is opposed to
the appointment and recognition of a royal father outside their choice.
Speaking with a correspondent, a resident of the village who pleaded anonymity said: “Some
youths literally went wild, disrupting traffic, extorting money from
motorists on the highway and splashing water and drinks on innocent
commuters.”
While disclosing how the 58-year old man died, the villager said
that the deceased, who was identified as Njoku, came home from his base
in Lagos and was trying to fix his Toyota Sienna at a workshop close to
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, when the irate youths struck.
“The youths wanted to dis-possess the deceased of his handbag,
which he stoutly resisted. One of the rampaging youths hit him on the
back of his head. He slumped and started bleeding profusely”, the villager recounted with grief.
Continuing, the villager said that “a sympathetic citizen rushed
the dying man to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he later
died.”
Meanwhile, angry youths from the deceased’s home have gone on a
reprisal attack to Umumanu Umuezeala-Ogwara, the home of the suspected
killer of their son and destroyed lots of valuable things.
When contacted, a police officer in the division confirmed that “the suspect has been arrested and is currently helping the police in their investigation.”
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