Tragedy has struck the community of Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, as a 28-year-old man, Kingsley Okoye, was allegedly beaten to death by hired thugs for selling his elder brother’s foreign doors to buy food. This incident occurred just a week after a youth was allegedly killed by security personnel in the same community.
According to eyewitnesses, the deceased, Kingsley, sold three foreign doors from his Germany-based elder brother’s, Joseph, yet-to-be-completed building to feed himself. Joseph, who had earlier sold a family property without giving Kingsley his share, angrily sent thugs to torture him, resulting in his death.
Kosisochukwu Samuel Uzoekwe, a maternal cousin to the deceased, recounted the events leading to Kingsley’s death. “My cousin, Joseph Okoye, sold one of their family properties and refused to share the money with Kingsley. Since then, life has been difficult for Kingsley. When Joseph began building a house in Oba, Kingsley sold three foreign doors to buy food. Joseph sent money to his sister, Ebele, to arrange thugs to beat Kingsley.”
Ebele, however, denied receiving money from Joseph to contract the thugs, claiming it was Joseph’s fiancee who arranged the beating. Joseph regretted his actions, stating he only wanted to recover his stolen doors and did not intend to hurt or kill his brother.
The accused, Joseph, said, “I told my mother and sister to help me beg Kingsley to bring back my doors or tell me who he sold them to, but he denied stealing them. I contacted some boys from Umumpama Oba to beat him and find out where the doors were… I insisted that Arinze Jukwaese, who is now at large, must be apprehended to tell me why he killed my brother.”
The police are yet to comment on the matter, as efforts to reach the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, were unsuccessful.
