From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
Yet to be identified men numbering about six were said to have beaten a single mother, Nnenna Onu Nwookorie, to death on the Christmas day, at Anike village, Onicha Igboeze Community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
They also set her body ablaze before neighbours could get to the scene.
Local sources said that on the sorrowful day, four of the assailants had allegedly stormed the victim’s father’s compound and without hesitation began to hit the lady with clubs for an undisclosed reason.
It was gathered that the woman due to her huge size and strength engaged them in a serious fight.
When two more persons who were waiting with their various motorcycles had seen that the deceased was gaining upper hands in the melee, they rushed and joined forces with their colleagues and in the long run subdued the woman before clubbing her to death.
A resident of the area, Mrs. Nweke Ogo, told Daily Sun that she was still in the mood of Christmas celebration on the particular day when she got wind of the incident, adding that before many villagers could become aware of the happening, the killers had eliminated the lady and cut off one of her leg with matchet before setting the entire lifeless body on fire.
We further gathered that help could not come the way of the victim as she and her aged mother were the only persons in their compound that is a bit detached from the cluster of houses in the settlement, when the attackers perpetrated their dastardly act.
“Since this incident occurred, till now, I cannot say exactly what transpired between Nnenna and her killers, but according to her mother’s story, the people suddenly invaded the premises and began to beat the young lady.
“When the deceased could not condone the assault, she decided to fight them and in the process, she removed one of the assailants teeth before they eventually over powered her,” she narrated.
She added that it was after the bereaved woman had noticed the meanness in the killers’ action that she ran for dear life leaving her daughter to her fate.
Spokesperson of Ebonyi State Police Command, DSP Loveth Odah, said they were yet to get the report.
She, however, advised that people should always adopt alternative dispute resolution rather than self help.
