VOICE AIR MEDIA News Update

Izuchukwu Mbakwe, 29, from Umuosu Okaiuga Nkwoegwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, woke up on Sunday, March 26 as usual but never knew he would end up at the morgue.

He was a staff of a popular Eatery in Umuahia, who just secured a job in the eatery towards the end of last year (2022), according to a family source.

Izuchukwu had been an enterprising young man who believed in struggling for survival according to the family.

He was the last born in a polygamous family of 13 but his mother had six children while her co-wife had seven.

In his bid to survive even at a young age, izuchukwu even travelled to Dubai but on the request of his sister who is now in the US, he returned to Nigeria last year as he, according to family sources, was suffering over there.

The concerned sister was said to have secured job for Izuchukwu at the eatery probably as an interim measure to put body and soul together before she travelled to the US.

But unfortunately, Izuchukwu was said to have been owed by his employer for five months.

His attempt to demand payment for his arrears of salary led to his early grave.

Devastated by the tragedy of his murder in his place of work, Izuchukwu’s family has cried out for justice. His step-brother and the eldest in the family, Professor Roy Mbakwe, said they were yet to believe that Izuchukwu was truly no more.

Professor Roy who said Izuchukwu’s mother was so traumatized to talk as she had been weeping uncomfortably and had to be put under sedation, narrated how the news of his tragic death came to the family.

“ About 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 26, I got a call from Izuchukwu’s immediate elder brother from his mother’s womb saying he was at the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, and that Izu was dead.

“Izuchukwu was a staff of De Choice eatery. The company was owing them for five months. So, on that Sunday he went to the Auditor to demand his payment.

“ After complaining, the Auditor called a Bakassi boy (local vigilante outfit), and said: ‘This is one of those who stole my Nokia torch.

“ He told the Bakassi boy to go and punish Izuchukwu. Then he took him outside, stripped him and started beating him in the rain. He shot him in the thigh and left him in a pool of his blood.

“After shooting him, the Bakassi boy was using his gun to scare everybody who wanted to rescue him.

“ But luck ran out of him when a military man with his escort was coming to buy something from the eatery and saw the scene. They disarmed the Bakassi boy and carried Izu to the FMC where he was confirmed dead.

“ The military man reported the matter to the police at the Central Police Station, CPS, Umuahia. It was the police that contacted my brother Uchenna who went to FMC and saw things for himself.

“ The police told us they would investigate the matter. They have arrested the shooter but the Auditor has fled. They told us they had contacted the owner of the place and asked him to produce the Auditor.

“ The matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID. They promised to do a thorough investigation of the matter and we have confidence in them”.

Izuchukwu’s family is, however, alleging that his killing was premeditated, threatening that the matter could become an international case if not well handled. How can you have your staff killed in his workplace simply because he demanded his payment? This is sad! I never heard anything like this before.

“ This is a pre-meditated killing. They wanted to throw him away in the rain if not that God brought the military man who intervened. Do you know that after the incident, the next day they went and paid all the staff their salary arrears so that nobody will come to the police and testify? But the Police assured us that justice will be done. All we want is justice!

“ His mother is there but helpless. You can’t even see her now because she has been weeping and has refused to be consoled since this incident. We had to give her a sedative so she can sleep. We are all devastated.”

Meanwhile, the Abia State Police Command confirmed the incident but condemned the action of the overzealous vigilante personnel.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Geoffrey Ogbonna, in a statement, said the trigger-happy Bakassi boy had been taken into custody.

The statement read:” On March 26, 2023, at about 1630 hours, there occurred a shooting incident in one of the branches of ‘DE CHOICE FAST FOOD’ premises situated around Michael Okpara Square Umuahia.

“The incident which resulted in the loss of one Izuchukwu Mbakwe, a male staff of the eatery aged about 29 years was said to have emanated from an argument between the deceased and his co-staff over a stolen Android phone.

“Eventually, the attention of one Ernest Udemezugo, male aged about 48 years and a member of Abia State Vigilante Service aka Bakassi on duty at the Eatery was brought to the situation.

“The vigilante security personnel rather than calming down the situation, escalated it to the extent of discharging some bullets from the pump action gun assigned for his duty on the thigh of Izuchukwu Mbakwe which got him fatally injured.

“The victim was immediately rushed to Federal Medical Centre Umuahia but he later gave up the ghost.

“The erring vigilante officer has been arrested and his fire-arm recovered while the remains of the deceased has been deposited in the morgue for preservation.

“Abia State Police Command condemns the unprofessional conduct of the vigilante security personnel and commiserates with the relations and friends of the deceased over the loss.

“The Commissioner of Police Abia State Command, CP Mustapha Mohammed Bala, psc therefore, appeals for calm from the public, urging all to eschew violence or resort to self-help and assured that justice must prevail in the course of the investigation
“The Police Command would continue to discharge their duties with a full sense of responsibility and be willing at all times to respect the rights of every citizen.”

Speaking with the traditional ruler of Umuosu Okaiuga Nkwoegwu community, and the victim’s relation, HRM Eze Sir Nzenwata Mbakwe, expressed shock and grief over the dastardly act.

He said society had got so bad that human beings no longer have value for lives.