Youths of Nwofe Agbaja community, in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi state on Tuesday staged protest over the gruesome murder of the brother of ex- Ebonyi house of assembly speaker Augustine Nwankwoagu.
The youths protested along the major streets of the community carrying placards with various inscriptions which read: “Please Executive Chairman Izzi LGA, bring back our son’, ‘Hon. Speaker, bring back our son’, ‘SA IGR, bring back our son’, ‘please PDP Ebonyi state bring back our son’, Federal Republic of Nigeria please come to our rescue’, among others.
However, the youths also accused the Speaker of the state Assembly, Francis Nwifuru and the Special Assistant to Ebonyi state Governor on Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Martin Okwuegbu of being behind the incident.
The ex-speaker’s brother late Elias Nwankwegu was gruesomely murdered at a party ward rally, which took place at Nwofe primary school.
One of the suspects, Emmanuel Nwofe has been arrested by the police.
Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, the elder brother of the deceased, Samson Nwankwegu said “I was in an event when they called us that this incident happened. We learnt that the boy was called to come to the rally that he is going to be given motorcycle.
“Reaching there, three boys accosted him and one of the boys Emma pulled gun and shot him. We were not there to rescue the boy and I learnt that he died there immediately before he was taken to hospital.
“We don’t know who took him to the hospital, up till now we don’t knowwhere his corpse is. They said the Speaker was organizing rally for his re-election and will use the occasion to distribute motorcycles to his supporters and that is where he went to. The person who shot him dead, Emma Nwofe is one of the Speaker’s boys. This incident happened around 2:pm by the side of the rally ground”.
On his part, the deceased uncle, George Nwankwegu said “the deceased is my cousin, he is a son to my elder brother.
“SA to Governor, Martin Okwegbu called him on phone to come and collect motorcycle from the Speaker, that he is very industrious and the Speaker has decided to give him motorcycle. The SA told him (the deceased) that he has been at the fore front of mobilizing the people in political activities and that he deserved to be rewarded. Up till now, I have not seen his corpse or himself alive. He is 21 years old and has two children”, he stated.
Recall that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru had already denied having a hand in the killing of Mr. Nwankwegu.
Nwifuru through his media aide Mr. Tony Nwizi exonerated his boss from the unfortunate death of Okarika.
“What happened is that the party was supposed to hold a ward meeting there. The ward is not even Mr Speaker’s ward but the Current Attorney General Cletus Ofoke who is from the ward called Mr Speaker and begged him to come attend”, he noted.
But the Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on IGR, Martin Okwuegbu, who was also accused of having a hand in the killing, when contacted was not ready to speak with journalists in the state.
Okwuegbu claimed that he was traveling outside the state and may not be disposed to speak with press at the time of filling this report.
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