It
may take a long while before the lingering crisis between the
Umumerenze Umuezebikogu Umuagu clans and their Umuduruekwe counterparts
in Anambra State could get any headway. This is hinged more on the
alleged murder of one of the principal actors in the dispute, a Francis
Ohanebo. For 30 years now, the above families have
been engaged in a feud over the ownership of a land in the area but the
feud got to a head soon. Click to continue reading.. .there is a very
disturbing photo below though…
On that fateful day, the late Ohanebo, 69, was
resting in his compound around 8:00 pm, when no fewer than 10 men jumped
in, wielding various dangerous weapons. Ohanebo, though reportedly
waved their threats aside insisting that his lineage owned the disputed
portion of land, his attackers however, were not ready to exchange hot
words with him. They already had their briefs. While the old man was
trying to raise the alarm, the assailants reportedly swooped on him and
inflicted series of cuts on his fragile body. Ohanebo was thus murdered in his compound in the full glare of some of his hapless relatives.
His assailants ensured that he drew his last breath before they let him be.
Apparently not done with him they were said
to have beheaded him and cut his body into parts. The severed parts
were reportedly dumped into a nearby bush. No sooner had these
assailants left Ohanedo’s compound than his son, Moses, alerted the
police.
The law enforcement agents then launched a
manhunt for the killers. Eventually, seven people connected with the
gruesome crime were apprehended while others are still at large.
Those accused of Ohanedo’s murder are
Aloysius Osadebe, John Nnaekezie (a.k.a. Okadibia), Ogenabia Ohanebo,
Chijioke Mbanusi, Cornelius Obinozie, Emeka Onwukeme and Comrade Ikenna.
The matter was immediately charged to court at the Ihiala Chief
Magistrate Court in Anambra State, and the seven accused are detained.
In his complaint to the police, Moses
Ohanebo claimed that the accused persons and their sponsors, still at
large, had conspired to murder his father because of a lingering land
dispute. He argued that a continued hearing into the land dispute was to
come up on February 14, 2012, but the accused persons, suspecting that
the case might not end in their favour, decided to murder his father to
silence them as the rightful owners and fraudulently claim ownership.
Chief Magistrate Nwaba, ordered the police
to transfer the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecution
(DPP) on or before March 26, 2012, being the next adjournment date. A family member of the late Ohanedo who
spoke with reporters at the court, but who pled anonymity for fear of
reprisal attacks, maintained that the assault and eventual death of
their breadwinner, was the handiwork of the opposing clans with which
the late Ohanedo had dispute over the said land.
His words, “It is very clear who are behind
this gruesome murder of our father and brother. They thought that by so
doing, they would have a head way, but the fight over the disputed land
is a forgone issue. It does not belong to them but to us,” the middle
aged man said. At the last hearing of the case, the
prosecutor urged the court to remand the seven men in prison custody
because the offence is not bail able and besides, granting them bail
could jeopardize further investigations in the matter. This position, the lawyers to the accused objected.
Their lawyers, Ikenna Odigbo, Maduka
Ewuzie, Francis Effiong and J. N. Obi prayed the court to grant them
bail on the ground that the accused persons could be produced at any
given time they are required to appear in court. The judge however
decided that the accused be remanded in prison custody against the
prayers of the accused’ lawyers. They were to be produced in court at
the resumed hearing of the case.
Source: Nationalmirroronline.com
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