How hoodlums murdered my 7-month-old pregnant wife in Ebonyi –Ebubeagu Commander

.As DSS arrests ISWAP commander, mastermind of Kogi explosion

CLEMENT NNACHI, Abakaliki

The Commander of Ebubeagu Security Outfit in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State Mr  Kalu Chima, has recounted his ordeal on how his late wife (with 7 months pregnancy) was killed by hoodlums who invaded his residence at Amaoso Amaetiti Edda recently.

Briefing newsmen on the incident in abakaliki Ebonyi State capital on Tuesday, Mr Chima, expressed sadness that his wife named Mrs. Urenwa Chima was murdered in cold blood on 1st January 2023.

According to him, “I am the Commander of Ebubeagu in Afikpo South local government.

“On 1st January 2023, I was sleeping in my bed with my wife and my two kids named Miss  Blessing Kalu Chima (12 years) and Roseline Kalu Chima (2 years), when I heard a gunshot in front of my house which woke me up immediately”

“I walked to the window and opened the curtain and saw men with Ak-47 riffles numbering about 19 and I know them all”

The Ebubeagu Commander narrated that one of the assasins was the  Coordinator of one of the Development Centres in the Local Government Area.

“He was positioning them, ordering them to cordon off my house, they hit my door twice,  I then told my wife let’s run away’

“Because of my wife’s pregnancy she couldn’t run, when  the door was hit the third time, I left my wife and my children and followed the backyard and jumped the fence”

“I landed on where villagers throw wastes,  I laid there and heard a  gunshot where  my wife shouted, they poured fuel on my two houses and set them on fire”

He maintained that he called his Personal Assistant,  to go and see what was happening in his house.

“When he got there, they have finished everything they were doing and he saw the dead body of my wife and my two kids there”

“I called one of my neighbors who assisted me because I was no longer in order and they came and assisted in carrying my wife dead body to the mortuary and deposited it”

Mr. Chima stated that the Police has arrested the Cordinator of One of the Development Centers who led the group.

“As I am talking to you, the Police has arrested the Cordinator of one of the Development Centers who led the group”

“He is in the crack office of the State Police Command Abakaliki,  others are on the run but the police are seriously beaming their searchlight on them”

He opined, “these group of people went and burnt the State APC Chairman’s House and killed his brother”

“Unfortunately, police shot one of them on the leg that day they perpetrated the act, he ran to Ohafia in Abia State with the bullet”

“He was finding a way to remove the bullet and he couldn’t see it. the Doctor there told him to get police report before they can remove the bullet.

“He called one of  them that followed them to attack my house and told him that he should beg me as the  Commander of Ebubeagu to meet Divisional Police Officer (DPO),  to give him police report to enable doctors can remove the bullet from him.

“I met the Assistant Commissioner of Police and reported the incident to him”.

Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested the suspected mastermind of the vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device which occurred near the Palace of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Okene, Kogi State during the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to commission some projects on 29th December, last year.

The suspect, Abdulmumin Ibrahim Otaru aka Abu Mikdad and one of his associates, Saidu Sulaiman, according to a statement signed by the DSS Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunanya were arrested on 3rd January, 2023 while attempting to escape.

According to the statement, Otaru sustained a gunshot injury on his left foot while trying to escape. He’s currently receiving treatment at a health facility.

”During investigations, it was ascertained that Otaru was a high Commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and either coordinated or was involved in the following dastardly operations: the 24th June, 2022 attack on Nigeria Police Area Command, Eika-Ohizenyi, Okehi LGA of Kogi State during which a Police Inspector, Idris Musa was killed and two (2) AK-47 rifles carted away in that attack; the 5th July, 2022 attack on Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre in Kuje Area Council of the FCT; and 5th August, 2022 attack on West African Ceramics Ltd (WACL) in Ajaokuta LGA, Kogi in which three Indian expatriates were kidnapped.

It would be recalled that five persons including one Indian, two Policemen and two drivers of the company were also killed in the attack. The kidnapped expatriates were released on 31st August, 2022.” the statement disclosed.

”Otaru operated terrorist cells in and around Kogi State. Similarly, he and his gang had staged several kidnap operations in Kogi and Ondo States.

Meanwhile, the suspects are in custody and will be prosecuted accordingly.” the statement added.

The DSS however reiterated its commitment to the safety of the nation, with an assurance to work assiduously with stakeholders including sister security agencies to tackle the menace of terrorism and other forms of criminality and threats to national security.

It called on citizens to support it and other law enforcement organisations with relevant information and all the necessary cooperation required to achieve a peaceful country.