Posted by By CHUKS ONUOHA, Umuahia on
An 82-year-old retired gateman, Pa Johnson Onwegbu, had lamented the killing of his son in cold blood. In the attack, which took the entire Amaogwugwu village, in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State by storm, trigger-happy youths shot the old man's son and six others, robbed a bereaved family and left sorrow and pain.
An 82-year-old retired gateman, Pa Johnson Onwegbu, had lamented the killing of his son in cold blood. In the attack, which took the entire Amaogwugwu village, in Umuahia North LGA of Abia State by storm, trigger-happy youths shot the old man's son and six others, robbed a bereaved family and left sorrow and pain.
The only person who was killed in the operation, Ahamefule Johnson Owuegbu, a cyclist, was shot shot twice on the head and his brain splattered on the wall. The incident happened on April 6, 2007.
Speaking to Daily Sun, Pa Johnson Onwegbu, said that the gun men stormed his compound at about 9 o'clock in the evening.
'I was sitting in my parlour with my son watching television. I hared a click and the gate opened. I stood up and came outside. I saw two people who came in. I asked them what they wanted. They raised their hand and pointed guns at me and one of them asked me: ‘do you want this?'
'I said no, that I didn't want it. Then they ordered that should go inside my house. I walked back to my parlour. My son who was watching television heard the noise outside and walked out to find out what the matter was.
'They forced me into the parlour and pointed the gun at me and asked again if I wanted the gun and I said no. They locked the door. My son was outside. As they closed the door, I heard the first gun shot followed by agonizing cry of my son. I hared a second and a third shot and every place became quiet. I heard other shots, altogether, about seven gun shots. When I waited a little bit and heard some feet running away, I opened the door. My son's brain was splashed on the wall. I raised alarm.
'We have reported the matter to the police and they have been here and have made some arrests between that day and today. The two people they arrested were those who came into my compound and killed my son.
'I heard that they are keeping them at the state CID. I am calling on the government not to allow this matter to be swept under the carpet. I heard that a relation of one of them is a well connected person who has been making efforts to get his relation off the hook."
Meanwhile, another victims, who was shot on the leg, said that he went to buy sachet water when he ran into the robbers.
Said he: 'I was at the store when they started shooting sporadically. I dashed out and hid by a 504 car that was metres away from the shop. They came after me. I don't know how they knew I was there. I made to run away and one of them shot at me and the bullet caught me on the leg. I struggled ran away."
Daily Sun gathered that six persons were shot during the operation. Some of the victims were shot on the legs, head and buttocks. They were rushed to Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, where they received treatment.