Panic gripped Okpuno Egbu village in Umudim-Nnewi, Anambra State, on Friday as a group of gunmen brutally assaulted Mrs. Chioma Udechukwu while abducting her brother-in-law, Ebuka Udechukwu.
Recalling the harrowing ordeal, Mrs. Udechukwu, a nurse at an undisclosed hospital, recounted how approximately fifteen assailants stormed her husband’s residence around 11:00 am, claiming to be there to arrest her brother-in-law.
“I became suspicious of their intentions when they failed to identify themselves as law enforcement agents,” Mrs. Udechukwu said. “Among them were two individuals I recognized as local troublemakers in the community, which further raised my suspicions.”
Despite her attempts to verify their identity, the assailants insisted on taking Ebuka away. Fearing for her brother-in-law’s safety, Mrs. Udechukwu attempted to record the incident on her phone. In response, the gunmen violently attacked her, inflicting injuries and subjecting her to assault and molestation before abducting Ebuka.
Mrs. Udechukwu emphasized that her brother-in-law, who is unwell, poses no threat to anyone, making the abduction all the more perplexing.
“We have organized a search party to locate Ebuka, but his whereabouts remain unknown,” she lamented.
Seeking public attention to their plight, Mrs. Udechukwu appealed for her brother-in-law’s release, emphasizing his innocence and vulnerability due to his health condition.
Efforts to obtain the police’s perspective on the incident were unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Anambra State Command, Tochukwu Ikenga (DSP), could not be reached for comment.