Gunmen kill car dealer, kidnap another in Onitsha

ONITSHA—There was pandemonium, yesterday, in Onitsha as suspected armed robbers and kidnappers  shot dead a car dealer, identified as Chief Emeka Ekwerendu and kidnapped an unidentified person.

The incident, according to an eye witness, occurred at about 7.30 am at Modebe Avenue junction by St. John's street.

Speaking to Vanguard, the witness said the four-man gang, who operated in a light green Toyota Siena car that had no registered plate number, trailed their victim from a Catholic Church at Odo-Akpu after he had dropped off his children at a Primary School in Onitsha before he was shot dead.

Ekwerendu was said to have been driving in his black Sports Utility Vehicle with registration number, ABC 202AJ when the dare devil robbers shot at his tyres, causing the car to lose control and hit a stationary vehicle which gave them opportunity to shoot him from the back windscreen.

The robbers who were said to have been armed with four Ak 47 rifles, shot sporadically into the air to scare people away to enable them actualise their mission. They escaped through Anionwu Street, Onitsha.

In a related development, another set of gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, abducted a businessman at Fegge, within the commercial city of Onitsha.

Though the identity of the victim was not known at the time of this report, eyewitnesses said he was kidnapped on his way back from a church.

Contacted the Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station, CPS, Onitsha, Mr. Tomitope Fahugbe, and Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Anambra State, Mr. Ralph Uzoigwe, confirmed the incident, but stated that they were yet to get details of the incident.