Kidnappers Kill Unizik Lecturer As Police Foil Attempt To Kidnap Lagos Business Mogul, Kill 2 , One Escaped ; Unizik Mourns

 

Hired kidnappers/Assassins yesterday shot and killed a lecturer at the Engineering department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra state , Engr Reuben Ikwu.

Ikwu was a successful businessman from Agbani village, Umuawulu Awka South local government area,Anambra state. He later enrolled into CEP and at graduation did very well and continued with his masters degree which he completed in flying colours before eventually gaining employment with the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka last year.

He contested for the President General position of the community which was zoned to his village but lost. His sponsor was Chief Azubuike Ekweozo, alias Nwanayoeze , a clearing and forwarding mogul based in Lagos.  

Already there was mourning situation in the University but the Vice Chancellor , Prof Joseph Ahaneku was not picking his call to express the mood of the university over the death of one of their own but his PRO Emma Ojukwu could not be reached as at press time.  

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com investigations revealed that of the three persons killed at Umuawulu , Awka South local government area Anambra state yesterday during a gun duel between the Nigerian police and the alleged kidnappers/assassins was Ikwu as confirmed by his kinsmen.

 The assassins/kidnappers had waylaid Chief Azubuike Ekweozo , alias Nwanayoeze , a clearing and forwarding agent of Agbani Village Umuawulu Awka South killing his guest who happened to be Ikwu but police men attached to Ekweozo returned fire and shot the two assassins/kidnappers while the third person escaped with bullet wounds.

Trouble started when Ekweozo sent his driver on an errand  but was at home with his guest late Ikwu with his police escorts but his driver was trailed by a jeep on his way back home up to the gate.

When the driver eventually entered the compound , the gun men came down, opened fire on the vehicle asking the driver for his master and rushed in the direction Ekweozo and his guest late Ikwu were seated and were discussing . But  probably because Ikwu was better dressed than Ekweozo at the time of their strike, the kidnappers/robbers mistakenly shot Ekweozo as against their perceived target. He died instantly.

And having concluded their mission, the kidnappers/hired assassins were retreating unknown to them that police men were in the compound opposite the house owner and the police men opened fire on them killing two while the third occupant of the vehicle escaped with gun wounds with the driver of the jeep.   

Traditional ruler of the community Igwe Joel Egwuonwu and the out going President General   , Chief Leo Uchendu confirmed the incident even as Uchendu said nobody contacted him on that officially as the President General.

He said the incident happened inside somebody’s compound and it would not be right to start speaking about it as the person at the center of attraction will be the best person to speak to since Umuawulu as a community was not the issue. He reminded that the people of Agbani did their election peacefully and elected the candidate of their choice hence the incident should not be linked to the community election for a new PG.  

Briefing newsmen on the development the New PPRO Anambra state , Superintendent of police,  Uche Ezeh flanked by  Officer in charge of SARS , CSP James Nwafor and Assistant Commissioner of Police ,Operations Fimihan Adeoye while confirming the investigations of odogwuemekaodogwu.com said the gun men were kidnappers as their members in custody have identified one of the deceased as their leader. He identified one of them as Arinze Onuorah , a manager of the transport arm of Enugu South local government , Enugu state as spotted in his identification card TMP Driver, 2014 with phone number 08167843235.

He refused to disclose the identities of the Guest at Ekweozo’s compound shot by the kidnappers and the host for security reasons but it is already a public knowledge. He said two AK 47 rifles , 30 rounds of live ammunition and 30 rounds of expanded ammunition were recovered from them.

Ezeh added that the police is rounding up the escaped gun man even as the kidnappers hide out have been discovered. He informed that the police have raided their hideout also in Umuawulu , describing Arinze as one of the deadly kidnap kingpins the command has been looking for.

It would be recalled that Ekweozo’s driver was kidnapped in his house sometime last year with another unclear incident last two years.  

Odogwuemekaodogwu.com reminded that another Umuawulu man who was a former chairman of Awka South , a Chieftain of APGA and foremost Philanthropist cum businessman Late Chief Chukwudi Okafor (Amuluonyenego) was also shot and killed a few kilometers to his house after being trailed by some un identified gun men who allegedly wanted to kidnap him for ransom about 2009 leaving his two wives widows.