The 2015 general elections may have become history but some of the scars left behind would remain evergreen in the minds of some Nigerians who were affected by the activities of political thugs. Among those who would not forget the elections in a hurry are family members of the Emereonye of Akatta Community in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State.
Their son, Dr. Ugonna Emereonye, was reportedly murdered in cold blood, in his family house by a two-man armed gang, on the eve of the governorship election in the state.
Emereonye, a graduate of Veterinary Medicine and alumnus of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, vigorously campaigned for the election of Chief Emeka Ihedioha, after extracting a commitment from him that he would reinstate the sacked beneficiaries of the Ikedi Ohakim’s 10,000 Job Scheme Programme in the state, if elected.
The Emereonye family said that their son was killed on the eve of the April 11, 2015, elections, at about 10.30p.m., adding that the deceased was shot by two persons, believed to be members of the vigilante group, who had earlier robbed him of some money.
The family also said that the aspect of collecting money from the deceased was simply crafted to make the crime look like a robbery attack. They recalled that the two attackers came on a Yamaha motorcycle with registration number, Imo QD 415 WER.
The South East Voice was also told that the suspects also tried to kill the hapless mother of the deceased with a knife, since they had expended the live cartridges in their possession, as they suspected that she had recognised them.
It was alleged that an alarm raised by members of the family attracted the neighbours to the scene of the crime, forcing the suspected killers to quickly scamper into safety.
Chief Ohakim reacts
The immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, described Ugonna’s murder as “pathetic, crude, inhuman and a huge loss to Imo youths.” The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Andrew Enwerem, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comments as at press time.
