For the rest of their lives, December 25, 2017, would remain for Mr and Mrs Bartholomew Ewuzie of Umuru Nnobi in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, a black day that would always remind them of the sorrow of losing their only child and son, Daniel, 28, who was killed in cold blood.
Sun newspaper reports that the slaying of the young man came barely three months after he got married.
The 65-year-old father of the victim narrated that his son was hale and hearty the day before Christmas, and had joined his uncle’s wife to attend a vigil mass at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Umuru, as it is the tradition and generally observed by many Catholics before Christmas at dawn. Ewuzie said his son’s new wife did not attend the vigil mass.
Continuing the narration, he said it was around 1:00 am on December 25, when two boys ran to his house to tell him that his son, Daniel, had a problem as he was returning from the vigil mass. As he was told, as he was returning in the company of others, they heard a voice that sounded like that of one Uchenna Ezeudo, who he knew. So Daniel switched on the torch of his cell phone to find out whether it was him.
Ewuzie said he was told that one Osaraa popularly known as Nokia, who was in the company of his own brother rather took offence and claimed that the light was pointed at him and allegedly knocked off the phone from the hand of the victim and the cap of the suspect fell off from his head in the process.
He said his son began to look for his phone knocked down by the suspect, who allegedly pulled out a knife and gave the victim multiple cuts. Having seen that his son was badly wounded, Ewuzie said the suspect and his brother took to their heels and ran into a church but were later apprehended by some people around there.
He said his son was rushed to a hospital where he was later confirmed dead that same morning. His corpse was taken to a mortuary at Awka-Etiti, according to Ewuzie.
He said he went to the church where the suspects ran to for safety before they were caught by the youths and saw the parish priest, Rev Fr Bartholomew Nnakwe and one Livinus Nnemelu who expressed shock at the incident.
“When I went to Nokia after he was apprehended and asked him why he stabbed my son, he said my son knocked off his cap from his head. That was his only reason for stabbing my only son to death,” the distraught father said.
He told journalists that the duo were later handed over to the police in Nnobi who he said demanded his assistance to transport the suspects to police headquarters, Awka.
Ewuzie called on the Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General of Police and the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano to come to his rescue and never allow the matter to be swept under the carpet.
He said he is afraid that the killers of his son might be set free as he did not have the financial wherewithal to pursue the case to a logical conclusion.
“I’m a poor tailor. Killers of my son must face justice. Let them not go scot-free. I bought my son a grinding machine for him to earn a livelihood with his wife. He was peace loving and never looked for anybody’s trouble. Look at the way they ended his life, my only son and only child,” Mr Ewuzie lamented.
A member of the community, Mr Onyekwelu Nemelu confirmed the incident, adding that the deceased was a very quiet and peaceful man, loved by all.
A call made to the Airtel number of the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Princess Nkiruka Nwode (ASP), for confirmation of the incident was unsuccessful as the number was not reachable.
