Some yet-to-be-identified assailants have gruesomely murdered an 84-year-old community leader, Ichie Michael Nwobu, in Umudioka village, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to Akelicious, the elderly leader was killed in his bedroom in the early hours of Sunday. Family members, who had left for church earlier that morning, returned to find his lifeless body in a pool of blood.
The horrific discovery nearly sparked a violent protest by angry youths in the community, but swift intervention by elders helped restore calm and avert chaos.
Though the motive behind the killing remains unclear, shocked family members described the act as unprecedented in the community’s history. “This is the first time such a wicked act is happening here,” one relative lamented.
In response to the incident, an emergency stakeholders’ meeting was convened on Monday at the Umudioka Village Town Hall. Chief Joseph Nweke, Secretary of Ndichie Umudioka Obunese, who chaired the meeting, confirmed that the deceased was stabbed multiple times in the neck and chest.
“This is an abomination,” Nweke said, visibly shaken. “The assailants trailed the victim to his room upstairs between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. shortly after his wife and family left for church. They stabbed him repeatedly and escaped before anyone returned.”
He called on security agencies to swiftly investigate the heinous crime and ensure justice is served.
Chief Fidelis Nwokike, Chairman of the village’s Administrative Organ, added that it took considerable effort to restrain enraged youths from launching a reprisal. “We were with the deceased just on Saturday during a burial. No one imagined that would be our last conversation.”
Christopher Uzoh, youth chairman of the Okolobia, Nnaemeka Emeka (a nephew to the deceased), and Anayo Obiakor, a stakeholder and former Okolobia chairman, all condemned the murder in strong terms. They pledged to support law enforcement and ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
Although suspicions have been whispered within the community, stakeholders agreed to let the police carry out a discreet investigation before drawing conclusions.
When contacted, Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochuckwu Ikenga, said the incident had not yet been officially reported to his desk but promised to reach out to the State CID for updates.
As investigations begin, the brutal killing of Ichie Michael Nwobu has left Umudioka village in mourning and fear, with residents calling for justice to be served swiftly and decisively.
