By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A commercial motorcyclist has reportedly been shot dead over the weekend by a yet-to-be-identified suspected armed robber in Nnewichi, Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, after allegedly accepting to convey a passenger who eventually turned out to be an armed robber.
The victim, identified simply as Mr. Edeh, was reportedly killed on Saturday, September 26, while carrying out his usual business of conveying passengers to make a living for his family.
According to a social media user who shared a video about the incident on Sunday after visiting both the alleged scene and the victim’s family, Edeh was a native of Ebonyi State but lived in Oraifite, Ekwusigo Local Government Area, with his wife and children, including their two-month-old baby.
The social media user said the victim had reportedly picked up a passenger who hired him to convey him to a destination.
He alleged that while they were on their way, the passenger, who unknowingly was an armed robber, stopped at a particular location and shot Edeh before taking away his motorcycle and fleeing the scene.
Further reports said people around the area reportedly fled immediately after hearing the gunshot, only to return after a short while and found the motorcyclist lying by the roadside.
The victim was reportedly rushed to a hospital for medical attention but was said to have died from the injuries sustained in the attack.
A video shared by the social media user showed the alleged scene of the incident, including the victim’s footwear and rainwear, and plantain leaves that were reportedly used to cover his body and the blood that reportedly spilled on the road.
The social media user said the incident had left the victim’s family devastated, particularly his wife and young children who depended on him.
Recounting what happened when the social media user visited them, the victim’s wife said her husband normally closed from work at about 7pm and returned home to his family without keeping late nights.
She said that on the day of the incident, the family waited for him from his normal closing time, but never saw him. This she said, made her start calling him on the phone, but the number was switched off. He said they called and waited till about 9.pm after he failed to return home, all to no avail.
According to her, their young daughter also became unusually restless and kept pointing in a particular direction, although she was too young to communicate what had happened.
The woman said she later received a call informing her that her husband was involved in an accident, prompting one of his brothers to rush to the scene. She said while she was trying to ask questions and clearly understand what the caller was saying, the call ended, and the number never connected again.
She said it was not until the following day that the family was informed that he was allegedly robbed and shot dead by a passenger he was conveying on his motorcycle.
The widow further disclosed that her husband was still paying for the motorcycle through a hire-purchase arrangement before his death.
She appealed to the government and security agencies to investigate the incident, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
The social media user who reported the incident also appealed for support for the widow and her children, particularly as the family comes to terms with the loss and awaits the outcome of investigations.
As of the time of the report, there was no official statement from the Police confirming the identity of the victim or the circumstances of the shooting or the arrest of any suspect.
Efforts by this reporter Izunna Okafor to get the reactions of the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, proved abortive, as he was yet respond to his call or messages of inquiries sent by the reporter as at the time of this publication.
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