From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia
Tragedy struck yesterday at a popular brothel in Umuahia, Abia State capital, as invisible beings, suspected to be ghosts, allegedly invaded and attacked occupants, leaving two persons dead and six others unconscious. It was gathered that this is the third time people were dying mysteriously at the brothel.
The brothel, situated at Uyo Street, Umuahia, is a popular place where girls who are almost nude,dance to entertain guests and patrons.
Daily Sun gathered that the attention of passers-by and other lodgers in the brothel was drawn when live-in prostitutes started running out of the place in the early hours of yesterday. Some of them, it was learnt, narrated how invisible beings dealt them and others deadly slaps and blows.
The owner of the brothel, a lady who used to live in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before relocating to Umuahia, bought and renovated the building and established the brothel.
The manager of the brothel, a Cameroonian, is said to be among the victims of the mysterious attack and was taken to the Federal Medical Centre unconscious.
Area Commander of Central Police Station, Umuahia, Onyeke Udeviotu, visited the scene to cordon off the place, as a large crowd gathered to have a glimpse of the brothel.
The Abia State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nta Ogbonnaya Nta, who confirmed the incident, expressed pity over what happened. According to him, ‘we recovered two corpses and six unconscious bodies from the building, . Only the doctor can confirm them dead or otherwise.”
He said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, visited the scene of the incident, when a concerned citizen raised the alarm and drew the attention of the police.
The PPRO said the two lifeless bodies were that of a young man and a lady, while the six others that were unconscious were men. He explained that they were picked in separate rooms and that other occupants of the about 200-room brothel had deserted the place before the police arrived. He said the police would go after the owner of the brothel, as the matter would be assigned to the State Criminal Investigation Homicide Department for proper investigation.
A resident of a building close to the brothel told Daily Sun that the brothel used to be a mud building before the owner bought it.
According to him, the woman demolished the mud house and within a short space of time, “she reconstructed it into a one storey building. It was since the building was reconstructed that we started hearing of ghosts’ attack. The first time we heard of ghosts’ attacks, most of the prostitutes packed out due to fear, while others stayed behind. Then the ghosts were said to be lifting beds occupants were lying on and hitting them on the walls.
“The second time took similar method, but this time, those who managed to speak said the occupants were slapped by invisible hands, as a result of which many of them became unconscious.”
At the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where victims were taken, Daily Sun observed that one of those brought in unconscious was foaming in the mouth and breathing fast. Another victim, a bus driver, popularly called Obere, was seen moping and looking into space. He could not respond to conversation or questions.
Following the incident, the brothel and Federal Medical Centre became a beehive of activities for the greater part of yesterday, as a crowd surged to see the victims and the dead.
A lady seen wailing at the hospital said her husband, who was a regular caller at the brothel was missing.
