Abia community begs government, police to find son’s killers

Members of the Obuoro Agbo Ibere autonomous community in Ikwuano LGA, Abia State, have called on the Abia State Government and the police to conduct a thorough investigation that would lead to the arrest of those responsible for the death of their son, Okezie Ogbonna.

Okezie Ogbonna, a commercial motorcyclist, died on 10 March 2025 at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, after being attacked by unknown assailants in Awom Nebo village, Ikwuano LGA. His wife, Ogechi Ogbonna, alleged that Okezie was banished and killed by his own kinsmen.

However, addressing journalists in Umuahia on Sunday, community members—led by Prime Minister GodDay Nduche, President-General Mr Emenike Enyinnaya, and Ariondu Enyinnaya—denied the allegations that they had banished or killed Okezie.

The community members stated that it was a longstanding Erim (abomination) for any Ibere man to inflict blood injury or kill his kinsman. They claimed that the late Okezie had disowned and evicted some of his relatives and had also inflicted an injury on a fellow community member over a residential property dispute—an offence that required him to perform appeasement rites for the land.

According to GodDay Nduche, earlier this year, Okezie allegedly invaded the community with some thugs from Port Harcourt, who assaulted several community members before he was arrested and detained at Isiala Police Station.

“Days after his release from detention, we forgave him, and he relocated to his wife’s community in Itunta, refusing to return home to perform the Erim rites. Instead, he took us to court through human rights organisations.

“But on Saturday, we were shocked to read and hear in the news that we had killed our own son, which is completely untrue. The area near the university town where he was attacked is far from Ibere and has long been prone to criminal activities, including motorcycle snatching,” Nduche said.

He appealed to the Abia State Government and the police to help find those responsible for Okezie’s death. He also confirmed that some community members had received invitations to appear before the Area Command of the Nigeria Police on Monday.

The spokesperson for the Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, confirmed on Friday that the matter was under investigation.

Abia community begs government, police to find son’s killers