Abia motorcyclist shot dead ‘over N100 bribe’

Chimaobi Nwogu, a commercial motorcyclist, has reportedly been shot dead at a military checkpoint at Ohanze, Obingwa local government area of Abia state.

He was said to have been killed for refusing to part with a N100 bribe.

Geoffrey Ogbonna, police public relations officer in Abia, confirmed the death of Nwogu to NAN on Thursday.

He said relatives of the deceased reported the incident at the eastern Ngwa police division, adding that investigation into the incident had commenced.

“The army said it is not their soldier that killed Chimaobi, that it may be a cultist who was wearing an army T-shirt,” he said.

“A team has been set up to look into that matter and it is after the investigation that the perpetrator of that act will be unravelled.”

A witness was quoted as saying Nwogu was killed “because he refused to give N100” to somebody allegedly stationed to collect tips on behalf of the men at the checkpoint.

The witness, who spoke under anonymity, said the suspect, who was in a military uniform, immediately took a motorcycle and went after the deceased.

The suspect was said to have trailed the deceased to his village in Umuokereke Ngwa, where he reportedly shot him on the road to his father’s compound.

“We saw a soldier pursuing Chimaobi but we were still wondering what may have happened when he shot him and he fell on the ground from his motorcycle,” Chinonyerem Nwala, a relation of the deceased, was quoted to have said.

“Immediately after shooting him, the soldier climbed on his motorcycle and ran away.”

Youths of the area had taken to the major roads to protest the murder, bearing the remains of the deceased.

They reportedly took the protest to the Ohanze military checkpoint and Opobo Junction at Ogbor Hill, suburb of Aba, causing traffic gridlock.

Ogbonna said the police had intercepted the youths during their protest, collected and deposited the remains of the deceased in a morgue.