By Daniel Edu
The incident occurred in Ezeala/Ezike autonomous community in Umuezeala, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state. The assailants purportedly operated under the guise of Biafra agitators.
Innocent Obi, affectionately known as Onye Army by villagers, had previously served in the military before joining the staff of the Federal Polytechnic Uwana. He had even applied to become the institution’s next substantive registrar prior to his untimely death.
According to reports from the village, Obi had traveled back to his Umuoboama village for the burial of a relative who had been killed in the Northeast while serving as a soldier and had been abducted and killed.
Tragedy struck when, shortly after retiring to his family house in the village following the funeral weekend, over six assailants, some of whom were dressed in military and police uniforms, invaded his home around 10 p.m.
They forcibly entered the house, wielding machetes and axes against Obi. Despite his cries for help, the attackers managed to repel any would-be rescuers by continuously firing their weapons into the air. Subsequently, they abducted him and left the house covered in blood.
A search party was organized by the villagers on the following day, but it wasn’t until late Sunday afternoon that they received information about a decomposing body found between Ehime Mbano and Ahiazu Mbaise.
Upon reaching the scene, they discovered the lifeless body of Innocent Obi, horrifically mutilated beyond recognition. He was known for his dedication to facilitating educational opportunities for local youth, tirelessly assisting them in gaining admission to schools. He was a modest individual who had only recently started building a house in the village, which remained at the decking stage at the time of his untimely demise.
