Cultural festival turns bloody in Imo

OWERRI—The annual Ibo Uzo cultural festival of Umuezeala, Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, turned bloody this year, following what an aggrieved villager termed “senseless murder of a native of Umuihim-Oki in Umualumaku/Umuihim autonomous community.” Vanguard gathered that “trouble started when a section of Ezeala-Ezike autonomous community opted to observe the festival outside the date chosen by the duly recognized traditional ruler.” It was also gathered that “this section of the community is opposed to the appointment and recognition of a royal father outside their choice.” A villager, who pleaded anonymity said: “Some youths literally went wild, disrupting traffic, extorting money from motorists on the highway and splashing water and drinks on innocent commuters.” Answering a question on how the 58-year old man died, the villager said that the deceased, who was identified as Njoku, came home from his base in Lagos and was trying to fix his Toyota Sienna at a workshop close to Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, when the irate youths struck. “The youths wanted to dis-possess the deceased of his handbag, which he stoutly resisted. One of the rampaging youths hit him on the back of his head. He slumped and started bleeding profusely”, the villager recounted with grief. Continuing, the villager said that “a sympathetic citizen rushed the dying man to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he later died.” Meanwhile, angry youths from the deceased’s home have gone on a reprisal attack to Umumanu Umuezeala-Ogwara, the home of the suspected killer of their son and destroyed lots of valuable things. When contacted, a police officer in the division confirmed that “the suspect has been arrested and is currently helping the police in their investigation.”