The battle between three siblings over the leadership of Banana Junction motor park at Amaifeke in Orlu Council Area of Imo State turned tragic when a stray bullet allegedly fired by a policeman killed a passerby identified as one Remigius Enwerem.
The police team was allegedly brought by the Ozioma and Ozoemena Agubata group to apparently dislodge the boys of their younger brother Nkeonyere from the park.
Sunday Sun reliably gathered that the battle for control of the park between the three siblings started in February when another innocent passer-by was also hit by a stray bullet when the siblings also clashed. But it was learnt that Nkeonyere Agubata had spent his personal money to treat the gunshot victim to save his life.
It was further learnt that the two elder brothers, who allegedly have the backing of another local strongman (names withheld), were not comfortable with their younger brother’s control of the motor park. With the ardent backing of the local strongman, Ozioma and Ozoemena stormed the park with a horde of thugs and about 40 policemen led by the Area Commander who promptly arrested some of the boys working for Nkeonyere.
Recounting what happened, a source told Sunday Sun: “The battle over the park by the three siblings of the same parents began last Sunday (May 14) when Ozioma and Ozoemena with their boys came with about 40 policemen led by the Area Commander and arrested Chukwuebuka Amadi, Onyemauche Mba, Uchechukwu Okafor, Chinedu Okafor and Abraham who work for Nkeonyere at the park.
After, the police had taken them away Ozioma and Ozoemena then put their boys at the park.
But when the police left, Nkeonyere returned to the park with more of his boys and sacked the boys of his elder brothers from the park and took effective control.”
Similarly, the wife of the embattled chairman of the motor park, Mrs. Chiamaka Nkeonyere Agubata disclosed to Sunday Sun that in the early morning of Friday, the two elder brothers came to their house with armed policemen to arrest her husband.
Her words: “Around 5 am on Friday, Ozioma and Ozoemena came with armed policemen to our house and asked for my husband. I told them that he had travelled but they forcefully entered the house and after searching the entire house they did not show me whatever they took. But before leaving the policemen gave me a written note that my husband should report to the SCID as requested by the state Commissioner of Police, but when my husband returned from his trip he discovered that some money he kept in his room was missing.”
She further revealed that one of their neighours had alerted them last Sunday morning that armed policemen in five Toyota Hilux vans who were accompanied by Ozioma and Ozoemena and their boys had already surrounded their house.
Continuing, she said: “When I received the call from our neighour I told my husband because we had already left for the market at Amaifeke at Banana Junction but as Ozioma sighted him around the market he rushed at him and tried to hold him so that the police would be able to bundle him into their van but as my husband was struggling to free himself from the grip of his brother, the leader of the police team ordered that he be shot and as one of the policemen opened fire, my husband was lucky to slip out of his hands and managed to dodge the bullet which hit Remigius Enwerem, who was just passing.
But instead of the policemen to assist the victim they all fled and abandoned him in his pool of blood. It was later when my husband came back that he tried to rush him to the Imo State University Teaching Hospital but he died on the way and his body was later deposited at the mortuary.”
When he spoke with Sunday Sun, Nkeonyere alleged that his elders brothers were being sponsored by the local strongman, who is being driven by greed. He implored the Inspector General of Police, the Imo State governor and the Commissioner of Police to save him from being killed as his life is under threat.
However, when contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Ezike said he was aware that the National Union of Road Transport Workers had a problem at the park and that the Area commander of Orlu had already made some arrest and that the matter was being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). He affirmed that nobody was killed and that peace had been restored to the motor park.