Enugu Community Seeks Justice for 32-Year-Old Kinsman Murdered By Unknown Persons, Fears Death Could Trigger Communal Crisis

Tension is escalating in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria, following the murder of 32-year-old hunter Mr. Joseph Chinedu Aniede by unidentified individuals in Nara community.

Aniede, a native of Isiogbo NaracCommunity, was reportedly killed on November 1, 2023, after he received a call on his mobile phone at about 4 pm.

He reportedly left to meet up with the person who called but didn't return home.

Meanwhile, tension has been mounting as people are afraid that the killing might result in a communal war as residents are already suspecting that the killers of Aniede might be from a neighbouring community.

To forestall a breakdown of law and order, the people of Isiogbo Nara community have called on the Enugu State police commissioner and other security agencies to unravel the mystery surrounding Aniede’s murder.

Narrating the tragic death of Aniede, his younger brother, Akachukwu, told journalists in Enugu that his family was shocked and found it hard to believe that he was gone.

He said, "On November 1, 2023, someone called Joseph Aniede on his cell number 08144388343 at about 4 pm, and he left to meet up with the person but didn't return home - only for his lifeless body to be found in the pool of blood in a bush near the borders of Isiogbo Nara community of Nkanu East LGA of Enugu State and Isu community of Onitcha LGA of Ebonyi State the next morning. 

"We are yet to recover from the shock of the sudden and mysterious death of my elder brother."

Isiogbo Nara community is a border town between Enugu and Ebonyi states.

The Chairman of the Isiogbo Nara Neighbourhood Security Watch Group, Success Emeka Eze, said he was notified about Aniede’s death by one of the officers of the Enugu State Forest Guard who came to him early that morning (November 2, 2023).

He said that they both went to see the remains of the late Aniede.

He said though the police had since commenced an investigation into the death, the people of the area were living in fear as such a tragic incident had never happened in that community.

According to him, it is shocking because "Isiogbo Nara community is not in conflict with any of its neighbours, hence we want to know the source of the crime as nobody knows who is going to be the next."

Some of the natives who spoke on condition of anonymity described the deceased as hard-working and peaceful.

"Before his untimely death, he was a hunter and a farmer. He was also a member of the Isiogbo Nara Community Neighborhood Security Watch Group," Michael Udeh stated.

"He was the one providing for his mother (a poor widow) and siblings and in this case, the family may not have the resources needed to follow up this matter to its logical conclusion.

"But we the concerned Isiogbo citizens are using this medium to call on the general public for help and more especially the Honourable Commissioner of Police Enugu State Command to use his good office to unravel the mystery surrounding this murder and ensure the culprits are brought to book to serve as a deterrence.

"As this kind of situation could trigger a communal conflict leading to wanton destruction of lives and property in rapid succession," Ude said, adding that the state government should do something about the incident before it is too late.

Meanwhile, efforts made by SaharaReporters to get the official reaction of the Nigeria Police Force regarding the death were unsuccessful as the Command's spokesman DSP Daniel Ndukwe did not answer his calls.

He also did not reply to text messages sent to him.