We’re trailing Enugu royal father’s killers –Police

The Enugu State Police Command on Sunday said it was on the trail of hoodlums who killed Igwe Peter Onuoha, the traditional ruler of Isienu Amofu, a community in Nkerefi, in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of the state.

A man, Ejike Uzor, and his wife, Evelyn, one Daniel Ogbu, alias Choco, were killed alongside the royal father when the gunmen invaded the sleepy community on July 11, 2015.

It was gathered that the traditional ruler was the prime target of the attack.

The gunmen had reportedly stormed the Igwe’s palace under the cover of darkness, and continued shooting sporadically for nearly an hour, before they dispersed.

The Igwe’s dead body was discovered in his palace after the hoodlums had left while the remains of the other victims were found in different locations.

However, apart from bullet wounds, the bodies of the monarch and the three other victims also had many machete cuts.

Some residents in the community believed the couple were victims of stray bullets, but the machete cut injuries inflicted on them, as well as those behind the attack, had remained a mystery.

There were reports that the assassinated royal father and some youths in the community had a quarrel, which was not resolved.

According to a source from the community, who did not want to be named, the youths took on the Igwe last year after he made a “spiritual sacrifice”.

The youths were reportedly suspicious of the sacrifice, which they believed was carried out by the Igwe to “tie” or “stop the progress” of members of the community.

But the Igwe had insisted that the sacrifice was meant for the protection of members of his family.

The source said, “The Igwe and youths in the village had issues last year when the youths accused him of retarding the progress of the community through fetish practices.

“But the Igwe told them that the sacrifice he did was purely for his protection and that of his family members.

“As a result of the development, the youths forcefully uprooted the royal father’s signboard to express their anger, but the community leaders condemned the act and threatened to fish out and discipline the youths.

“Some of the youths involved in the protest fled the community since then, but I don’t know if those youths have a hand in this incident.”

However, the Enugu State Police Command revealed on Sunday that it was on the trail of the hoodlums.

Spokesman for the command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, toldSouthern City News that the police already had names of those believed to have carried out the attack.

He said the suspects would be apprehended within the week.

Amaraizu did not reveal the identity of the suspects for “security reasons”.

He said, “We are already on their trail; we have a lead, which we are working on.

“At the moment, we have some individuals we are looking for, a manhunt is on, but we will not like to disclose their names now for security reasons.

“From the information available to us, the perpetrators are not within the area at the moment. They escaped after committing the crime, which is not surprising.

“But we have launched a manhunt for them; we are going to nab them. Before the end of the week, I am sure we will get them.”