Man Declared Wanted For Brutal Murder Of Enugu Royal Father

According to a Punch Metro report, the police in Enugu State have declared one Chijioke Okenwa wanted for the alleged murder of Igwe Steven Nwatu, the traditional ruler of Ogbozine Akpugo, a community in the Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, said on Wednesday that an arrest warrant had been issued against Okenwa for his alleged role in the murder.

The suspect, an indigene of Ogbozine Akpugo community, was said to own a shop in the Alaba International Market, Lagos. He was said to be 48 years old.

“The Enugu State Police Command is advising members of the public with useful information about how the suspect can be traced to report to the nearest police station or contact the command,” Amaraizu said.

Nwatu was on Monday accosted by some people who were said to be his subjects.

They allegedly beat him  up until he lost consciousness.

He was reportedly rushed to Parklane Hospital, Enugu, where he was confirmed dead.

Punch Metro reports that the traditional ruler and some policemen attached to him were trying to arrest some members of the village, when he was ambushed by the assailants.

The hoodlums reportedly disarmed the policemen attached to the royal father before attacking him.

The policemen were said to have taken to their heels, leaving Nwatu at the mercy of the mob.

It was learnt that the royal father had been at loggerheads with some of his subjects, who accused him of high-handedness.

Sources in the community claimed that Nwatu usually invited the police to arrest members of the village “over false allegations.”

He was also said to have scuttled moves to put in place a town union leadership in the community.

Recently, some members of the community had protested against him at the Enugu State Government House, urging Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to depose him.

The aggrieved subjects eventually dragged him to court.

Nwatu was said to have just returned from a court sitting when he was attacked  and killed on Monday.

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