Armed men have shot dead a 36-yearold man, Mr. Samuel Kalu aka Akilu, at a barber’s shop at Umuibe Street, off Item Road, Ndiegoro Aba, Abia State. The victim was killed on Sunday morning. He was said to have returned from his base in Malaysia a couple of months ago. But the killing created fear among residents of the area as many abandoned their homes and fled the community. The deceased, who hailed from Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, was born and bred at the Ndiegoro axis of Aba where he was murdered.
He was survived by his wife, his daughter and aged parents. On his return to the country, Kalu was said to have been living with his aged parents. It was learnt that Kalu returned to Nigeria before the COVID-19 lockdown and was planning to return to his base when he was murdered.
A source close to the deceased said: “Kalu went to Umuibe Street ‘to have a haircut’. The stylist had already started ‘cutting Kalu’s hair’ when he suddenly received a call. Immediately the call ended, the gunmen swooped on the barber’s shop and opened fire on him. “The gunmen shot him on the head at close range. While leaving, they took his phone probably to conceal the identity of the last caller.” Some residents of the area pleaded with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to do something about the security situation in the entire Ndiegoro axis of Aba, especially the Ngwa Road and Ohanku area.
A resident, who preferred anonymity, said: “This area is not safe and everybody knows about it! I don’t know those who killed Akilu, but even me that don’t have anything of value is now afraid. Police hardly come here and when they do, they always collect money from some boys selling Marijuana, after which they leave. They hardly look into the security situation of this area. “The bad roads in this entire Ndiegoro axis have not helped our security situation.
We’ve cried, we’ve prayed but nothing has been done. “About three weeks ago, a young man was also killed on Agu Road, off Ohanku Road in this same Ndiegoro axis. We beg the government to do something.” Other residents pleaded with the state government to urgently arm the Abia State Vigilante Group to help in eradicating crime and criminals in Ndiegoro axis of Aba.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, did not pick his calls to confirm Kalu’s murder. Ogbonna did not also reply to text messages sent to him on the killing.
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