A 48-year-old man, identified as Mr Michael Nnaji, has reportedly died after being murdered by hoodlums in Ngbo Amaka In Ngbo, Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state, News About Nigeria reports.
The Ebonyi State Police Command confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO DSP Joshua Ukandu, who confirmed the incident, stated that on getting the information, he contacted the Ohaukwu Police Divisional Headquarters, and the team immediately moved to the scene of the incident for investigation.
He noted that the victim is a native of Amuri in the Nkanu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
He, however, maintained that he is yet to be briefed on the details of the incident and assured that the State Police Command will carry out an in-depth investigation into the crime and ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted.
Mr. Nnaji, a businessman and a member of the local security in Ngbo Community, was said to have been shot twice by the hoodlums who invaded his business area at about 9:45 Tuesday Night.
A family source who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated that the hoodlums operated with a motorcycle and were also masked.
The source stated, “We were at the shop, at about 9:45p.m, 2 young men zoomed into the compound wearing masks; 1 came in from the front door while the other came in from the back door. Immediately, they made their way to the parlour, where Mike was relaxing and shot him twice.
“Immediately I heard the gunshot. I rushed out from the backward, and one of them grabbed me, collected my phone, and dragged me to the house, but as God will have it, I freed myself from him and ran to the nearby compound.
“As a result of the gunshot, most of the residents of the area all scampered for safety, leaving him and the hoodlums. After shooting him, the hoodlums set him ablaze inside the house and zoomed off.
“Out of fear, nobody came around for his rescue and his corpse was severely burnt. Other household items, including two deep freezers, television sets, chairs, tables, fans, cooking utensils, cash and other items, were all completely burnt.”
The remains of the deceased has been evacuated from the scene of the incident to the Ezzamgbo General Hospital mortuary.