From Everest EZIHE, Owerri
It was another black Saturday in Imo State, as yet-to-be identified gunmen reportedly shot dead, Mr Henry Ogbuji, a Pharmacist, a brother to an abducted victim, Mr. Sunday Ogbuji.
The AUTHORITY gathered from one of the sympathizers, Mr. James Amadi, that the deceased, whose shop is located at the Owerri Plaza along Douglas Road, Owerri, is a native of Obile in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state and resides in Irete, Owerri-West LGA, and was said to have been killed while chasing the abductors of his elder brother, Mr. Sunny Ogbuji.
Amadi informed us that the deceased returned home from somewhere he had gone to and was told that his elder brother, Sunny, had been kidnapped and immediately went after his brother’s abductors.
“Henry was shot dead by the kidnappers on Saturday night as he was pursuing the kidnappers who captured his elder brother, Sunny.
“He came back from his Pharmacy shop and heard his elder brother was kidnapped not quite long and out of brotherly love, he ran after them in his car.
“As if he knew, that they took the Owerri/Onitsha expressway, he got to Umungada junction where he encountered the kidnappers.
“But on sighting and suspecting that the car racing close to them was after them, they released several bullets, and killed the young man instantly.
“I wonder what gave him the courage to run after kidnappers who were well armed. It was an unfortunate situation” Amadi lamented.
However, another resident of the area, Mr Godwin Nwadike narrated that the kidnapped Sunny later escaped from his abductors during the encounter.
But in a statement on Sunday, ASP Henry Okoye, Police spokesperson in Imo, said the Pharmacist was shot in the chest by the suspected kidnappers.
“Following a distress call received on 24/02/2024, at about 2108hrs, that a young man was shot at Umugada market junction, Irete, by suspected kidnappers, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ogbaku in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo state swiftly mobilized his men to the scene where they met a man later identified as Henry Ogbuji, lying on the ground in the pool of his own blood, with severe bullet injuries on his chest.
“The operatives immediately rushed him to the Federal Medical Center, Owerri, where he was confirmed dead and thereafter deposited at the morgue.
“Frantic Investigation is ongoing to fish out the hoodlums responsible for the dastardly act and make them face the full wraths of the law and accordingly, adequate security measures have been put in place to forestall future occurrences.”
