Suspected assassins have killed a businessman, James Innocent, at his residence in Ibagwa-Ani, in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State.
He was murdered on a day hoodlums enforcing the sit-at-home protest in the State on Monday morning reportedly set ablaze a tricycle at Amachi Road Junction, Agbani road in the State capital.
The hoodlums were also reported to have set ablaze some sections of the Nsukka West Development Centre Secretariat building, damaging property worth millions.
The killing of Innocent, who hailed from Taraba State and married from the State as well as the arson, The Nation learnt, happened on Friday October 1, which the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared as sit-at-home in the Southeast region.
A close family source, who narrated the incident when the member representing Nsukka West Constituency in the Enugu House of Assembly, Hon Emma Ugwuerua and the Administrator, Nsukka West Development Centre, Mr. Dominic Ajibo, paid condolence visit to the deceased’s family, said the killers invaded the residence around 4am and dragged him out of his room after attempts to lure him out failed.
The source added the assailants, on arrival, reportedly told the deceased that some criminals were looting his provisions store, located few metres away from his house but he refused to yield to their antics.
“When he refused to open his door, his assailants shot at and shattered the glass window of his room, and used dynamite to force the iron door open.
“They dragged him out of the room and shot him dead. After they had gruesomely murdered him, they released two gunshots again and went away,” the source said.
Enugu Police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, said that the incident had to do with a reported case of suspected assassination.
On the torching of the Nsukka West Development Centre Secretariat building, the administrator of the centre, Mr. Dominic Ajibo, who confirmed it, said the incident also happened in the morning.
According to him, the entire building would have been razed down but for the intervention of some good spirited individuals, particularly farmers, who came to the rescue of the building.
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Streets, major roads, banks, parks and markets in Enugu were deserted on Monday in compliance with the sit-at-home order.
Gunmen operating in a Hilux van moved round some parts of Enugu capital city on Monday to enforce the weekly sit-at-home.
They set ablaze a tricycle for disobeying the order.
The fear of violent attacks by hoodlums forced residents of Enugu State to remain indoors while some miscreants continued to mount and create fears by attacking those violating the sit-at-home order.
