Ebonyi Youths Protest Murder Of Councillor, Others By Gunmen

Hundreds of youths in Okposi community of the Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Saturday protested the gruesome murder of a councillor, Ugwu Ogbonnaya, by gunmen in the area.

The victim was killed, thrown inside his car and set ablaze by the assailants, who equally filmed him while he burned into ashes.

Before his murder, Ugwu was the Deputy Chief Whip of Ohaozara legislative council and represented Achara political ward.

He was a father with an eight-year-old son, King David Ugwu.

It was gathered that he was murdered on March 11, 2023, a week before the governorship election on 18th March, 2023.

The protesting youths, who wore black, with the inscription: ‘Avenge your death SPACO, They have murdered sleep’, carried the remains of the deceased to the Okposi junction where he was murdered and laid curses on the killers.

The wife of the deceased, who spoke where Ugwu was laid to rest, called on the government at all levels and the security agencies to fish out the killers of her husband.

“It was very terrible, very shocking and unexpected, when I received the news of his murder.

"I felt very sad that they killed my husband. I’m still a young lady to lose my husband.

“I never expected this to happen, it would have been better if he was sick and had died in the hospital. I’m not suspecting anyone but God knows the killers.”

The elder brother of the deceased, Okezie Ugwu, a lecturer at the Akanu-Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Uwanna, alleged that the murder and setting ablaze of his younger brother was the third time someone was murdered at the same spot located opposite a police station in the area.

“My brother died a very painful death, but he was very good to everybody.

"It was when he became a councillor of Achara political ward that the people at the remote areas started benefiting, especially the women.

"He has a restaurant business that is giving him money.

“He was killed on 11th March, 2023. Around 10:00 pm when he closed and was about coming back home, and six (6) masked men surrounded him.

"They told him to come out of his car but he refused. He moved and they started spreading bullet on him.

“He lost control of the car and they followed him and made sure that he was dead.

"Though Ogbonnaya tried to come out but they pushed him back inside the car and set it ablaze.

"And they stood there and filmed him while he and the car burnt all through and nobody came there for rescue.

"And this incident happened at the front of Okposi divisional police station.

“My brother was a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State.

"He was not in the opposition, and that’s why we were very surprised that they killed him.

"He died politically whether it’s from his party side or from the opposition, but God has not revealed it to us.

“He is the third person that was murdered at the same spot, almost the same way that he was killed.”