Community Shocked As Man Kills Father With Shovel In Imo

A mixture of confusion and mourning has enveloped the sleepy rural Umuaro, Umunumo autonomous community, Ehime Mbano local council area of Imo State, following the alleged murder of 65-year old Mark Munuhawu by his first son, Ikechukwu Munuhawu.

Reactions emanating from the community yesterday had it that Ikechukwu allegedly used a shovel to inflict the deadly act, which eventually silenced his father for life.

An indigene of the community, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, said that “what we are seeing now, is the effect of a family squabble that started about a fortnight ago”.

According to the Imo villager, “Ubia, like the deceased man was called by everyone in the community, had an open confrontation with his son, Ikechukwu”.

Vanguard was also told that as the confrontation raged, Ikechukwu, in the full glare of his siblings, slapped his father.

“This instantly angered his three brothers, Ugochukwu, Ifeanyi and Chinemere. They promptly rose to their father’s defence.

Having been overpowered in the process, Ikechukwu left the scene in anger”, the villager recounted.

It was also gathered that Ikechukwu laid ambush for his father, a commercial motorcyclist and on sighting him, he allegedly threw a broken bottle at his father but missed the target by the whiskers.

The villager’s words: “Seeing his son discussing with friends, on how back home, Ubia stopped to tell his own side of the story.

Midway into his narration, Ikechukwu’s anger boiled over and he grabbed a nearby shovel, hit his father with it, and this gave him a deep cut in the neck.

“Sympathisers quickly rushed the dying man to St. George’s Hospital at Nkwo Umunumo Market, but seeing the enormity of the challenge, the doctor instantly referred the patient to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where he eventually died”.

Meanwhile, angry youths of the community, have since grabbed and handed over Ikechukwu to the Ehime Mbano Police Division, for investigation and possible prosecution.

While a police officer in the Division confirmed the incident to Vanguard, he, however, said that “details of the incident can only be received from the office of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Orlando Ikeokwu.”