Tobias Sylvester
Pastor John Onu of the Glorious Gospel Fire Assembly has been killed by a police stray bullet while observing his morning devotion.
It was gathered that Pastor John Onu was hit by a police stray bullet which penetrated his heart and went through his back while praying at his residence in the Nkaliki area of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The incident reportedly happened on Monday when police officers were protecting a hotel belonging to one Chukwudi Onyibe, the Special Assistant to the chairman of the local government on Internally Generated Revenue.
The youths of Ebyia Upnuhu in Abakaliki LGA of the state had gone on a rampage, burning houses in the area after a native of the village was beaten to death allegedly by men of Ebube Agu security outfit who came to make some arrest in the area.
When the irate youths attacked the hotel belonging to Chukwudi Onyibe, security agents shot sporadically to disperse them, but a stray bullet hit Pastor John Onu living opposite the hotel, who was observing his morning devotion. The bullet reportedly hit him on the heart and he died.
The chairman of the local government, Emmanuel Nwangele, who confirmed the incident, said that despite not knowing what led to crisis, the youths also set his house and some others on fire.
“I was about to go to the village that night to calm the youths but somebody around me that time told me that it was late; that it was better to go in the morning. It was after that that I was informed that somebody died and that they are rampaging to the extent that they came to one Bosco Guest House but they were dispersed by the police. They went back home and set ablaze houses.
“I was called that they also moved to my own house and set it ablaze, destroying so many things. I said why, when I don’t know the genesis of the problem? Late in the night, they also went back to that Bosco hotel. According to information, they were even trying to come to Abakaliki Local Government headquarters, but security agencies prevented them. Then this morning, they returned.
“Chukwudi Onyibe is my SA on IGR. But information reaching me says that they conveyed Ebubeagu people to go and arrest somebody who stole something and on the way to that place, they had a clash with somebody who overtook their vehicle. From there, they had some squabble; it was led by one soldier from our village who was posted out but was in the village.
“It was one of the Ebubeagu boys that they said had encounter with them, and my SA wasn’t even with them but that he was on the steering. This was what I was told. I don’t even know anything about it.”
The Assistant Police Public Relations of the state Police Command, Philip Levi, confirmed the incident but said everything has been brought under control.
KanyiDaily had also reported how a Deeper Life church pastor was arrested with his gang members for selling guns and military uniforms to armed robbers in Adamawa State.
