Crime
China-trained medical student shot dead in Enugu, family cries for justice
The family of an ex-medical student of the Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, Evaristus Tochukwu-Aligwe, is still in sorrow after suspected gunmen shot him dead in Enugu State on May 7, 2022.
Our correspondent gathered from family sources close to the incident that Tochuwku-Aligwe went out to buy groceries when he was killed.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred at Four Corners Junction, Ozalla, Enugu State.
It was gathered that the young medical student was shot four times in the chest before his car was stolen by the criminals.
An eyewitness identified only as Ndukwe said, “I operate a Point on Sale by the junction and I was there in the shop that Saturday when it happened. It was around 9 pm and I was attending to a customer when I heard gunshots from across the road.
“I and others ran there to see what was happening and we saw a young man covered in a pool of his own blood on the floor. His car was taken by the gunmen and another man was shouting for help.
“After a few minutes, a tricycle rider offered to take him to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, but we later learnt that he didn’t make it. He died before he got there.”
Another source who gave his name as Fabian Nnadi, said the young man just returned to Enugu for an exchange programme in UNTH, Enugu before he met his death.
“He was in China but COVID-19 forced him to return. We were good friends and I knew we chatted when he was going to return to Enugu. I even advised him against it but he said he wanted to know his roots. It was not even up to two years after his return that he was shot dead,” Nnadi said.
One of the sisters of the late student who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised by the family to speak on the matter, said the deceased was only 25 years old when he died.
“He was born on November 11, 1997. He was schooling at the University of Port Harcourt for about a year before he was offered admission in China. He was studying Pharmacy in UNIPORT but we (family) didn’t want that for him. He wasn’t able to get medicine at UNIPORT, so he was sent abroad to study.
“It is sad for us as a family that after struggling to raise millions of naira to send my brother to school in China, they (gunmen) waited for him to graduate and ended his life,” the sobbing sister said.
Explaining why the victim returned to Nigeria, the sister said, “He had returned to Nigeria when COVID happened. That was in 2020. The surge was much in Asia so many international students were urged to return to their countries where they would be taught online for the next year.
“He did that till the end of the year before applying for the exchange programme at the UNTH, Enugu, alongside some of his colleagues. He chose UNTH because we are actually from Enugu State but are not really that close to our roots.
“I remember we spoke about it and he said he just wanted to be close to his fatherland, being away for such a long time, schooling in China.”
She further said that the deceased medical student moved to Enugu and rented an apartment around the busy Four Corners Junction, Ozalla, Enugu, where he lived and was killed.
On how the family heard the news of the incident, she said, “It was one of the colleagues who called us and told us that our brother was shot and was being rushed to the hospital.
“I almost fainted. I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want anyone to panic. So, I called my other sisters and they relayed the information to my parents. They (parents) were so devastated that they asked that we find out where he was so we could go see him.
“In fact, my mum had even fallen sick almost immediately. One can imagine sending a child to China to study medicine and when he is about to begin his life, he is cut off like a fickle flower! It is sad indeed.”
She noted that the lady who called her told her that her brother went out with a friend, who drove behind him when the gunmen attacked and shot only Evaristus.
“What we know as a family is that Evaristus had gone out that day with his friend and they ended up buying some food at a place in Enugu. It was on their way home that they were attacked by the gunmen. In fact, it was my brother who was attacked. The friend was driving behind him and he said he saw the gunmen in their car, trying to overtake my brother’s car.
“Evaristus’ friend said he was honking for my brother to run away but he (Evaristus) was not fast enough. He wasn’t able to run away. They (gunmen) overtook him, packed right in front of his car, cajoled him and shot him four times in his chest. They came with their own vehicle and some of them drove off in his car,” she added.
She also noted that an eyewitness told her that she heard Evaristus begging for his life before his attackers shot him and left him for dead.
“It happened close to his house. So, some neighbours came out and saw my brother trying to breathe. He was on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The friend was said to have run to the police station to report the case. It was on the way to the hospital that my brother gave up the ghost. He was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors.
“They initially didn’t tell us this, but when they did tell us, my world stopped for a moment. July 7 makes it two months since he passed and you can imagine the strings of emotions going on in my mind. He was a lovely boy and didn’t deserve that kind of painful death.”
She added that his Toyota Camry car was found a few days later a few streets away from where the incident took place and all the valuables in the car were intact.
“Our family is in mourning. I call on the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Police Affairs, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Youth and others who can help us to come to our aid.
Contacted on June 25, 2022, the state police spokesperson, ASP Daniel Ndukwe-Ekea, said he was driving and would get back to our correspondent when he alighted. He, however, asked our correspondent to narrate the incident to him, which he did. He later said he was unaware of the incident and would get across to the Divisional Police Officer for information.
“I don’t know anything about any young man shot dead in that place,” he said.
Our correspondent called again on July 27 but the phone line rang out. Text messages were sent on that day but they weren’t replied. It was for Saturday, July 2 and Wednesday, July 6, when this reporter called the police spokesperson for the command’s reaction.
Reacting to the development, the victim’s sister said, “The police cannot say they are not aware of the matter. No one has been arrested.’’ The victim was buried a few days after the incident in his hometown in Enugu.
A colleague of Evaristus, Najeeb Maigatari, in a tribute, on behalf of his colleagues, said Evaristus was the Assistant Class Representative for his class, noting that it was devastating for the class to hear of his demise.
Some human rights lawyers urged the family to petition the Inspector General of Police if the state command was not attending to the matter.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Hussani Hussani, said the nation’s security system was seriously failing to guarantee safety of the citizens. He said, “Nonetheless, the law is what holds our bond together as law-abiding citizens. I advise the family of the victim to urgently report the matter to the police station where the incident is suspected to have occurred. Information should also be given about any suspected individual to the police. However, if the police failed to take action, a petition should be written to the Inspector General of Police, and where there is no action, the family may go to court to seek an order compelling the police to act.”
Another lawyer, Mrs Selena Onuoha, said the family should not only petition the IG but also sue the state command if it failed to carry out its duties.
“The job of the police is to protect life and property. They did not do so and this young doctor-in-the-making lost his life at a junction that is supposed to be manned by police officials. Two months is enough time to launch a probe into the matter and if the police are cooperating, the family should take them up. It’s human life we are talking about. We should not joke about it,” she said.
The Enugu State Government has urged residents to make use of the 112 toll-free emergency line to access prompt security services anywhere in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Security, Mr Vincent Onyeabor, made the call on Monday during an ongoing journalists’ tour of projects executed by the state government.
The journalists visited various workstations at the Command-and-Control Centre in Enugu, where Onyeabor explained how the state’s emergency response system operates.
He said the state had adopted the National Emergency Number 112 as its official emergency security services line, with a dedicated workstation at the Command-and-Control Centre receiving calls round the clock.
According to him, personnel manning the 112 workstation work in shifts to ensure that emergency reports are promptly received, processed and escalated to the appropriate security agencies for immediate action.
“The 112 toll-free line section can trigger action in terms of security emergency situations.
“The section will escalate the information received to the Command-and-Control Centre, Enugu, which can use the state-wide fibre cameras to trace the security or crime situation.
“The section can also escalate the information to the nearest Distress Response Squad (DRS) vehicle to take action,” he said.
Onyeabor urged residents to take advantage of the emergency line and continue to report security incidents to enable the authorities to respond quickly.
“Our people should take advantage of the 112 toll-free line as we want the calls to keep coming,” he said.
He added that residents could also contact the security response team through 09134666668 and 09134448093.
Onyeabor further attributed an estimated 80 per cent reduction in crime in the state to the government’s investment in technology-driven security infrastructure.
He listed the fibre-enabled surveillance cameras, Command-and-Control Centre, 112 emergency response system, drone technology and mobile statewide DRS squad among the measures deployed to strengthen security across the state.
The alleged daylight robbery of motorists and commuters by men in military and police uniforms along the Okigwe axis of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Road is becoming too brazen to ignore.
For motorists travelling from Enugu towards Okigwe, the ordeal reportedly begins shortly after Lokpanta, where a series of checkpoints can quickly turn an ordinary journey into an encounter with fear, intimidation and demands for money.
What makes the situation particularly disturbing is the difficulty in identifying the security personnel manning some of these checkpoints. On some occasions, their vehicles are unmarked. At other times, motorists say it is difficult to determine whether the men are police officers, soldiers or personnel of another security formation.
Yet, according to accounts from commuters and motorists, the alleged modus operandi remains remarkably similar.
A commercial bus is stopped and searched. Two or three young passengers may be singled out and labelled “Yahoo boys” — a term commonly used to describe suspected internet fraudsters. From there, an alleged demand for money follows, with some victims reportedly told to produce N50,000 or more.
The demand, according to the accounts, is often required in cash.
The victim is then left with little choice but to mount an okada to the nearest Point-of-Sale terminal, frequently around the Hausa settlement at Lokpanta, withdraw the demanded cash and return to the checkpoint.
For private motorists, the allegation takes a slightly different form. The vehicle may suddenly be described as stolen or suspicious. Instead of a formal verification process, the alleged encounter reportedly degenerates into negotiation, with the motorist expected to pay an agreed amount before being allowed to continue the journey.
Then the checkpoint goes back to business as usual.
The most troubling aspect of these allegations is not merely the money reportedly extorted from motorists. It is the mystery surrounding the identity and authority of the men operating the checkpoints.
Who are they?
Which security formation do they belong to?
Who deployed them?
And under whose authority are they operating?
One victim reportedly became so concerned about the identity of the personnel that he contacted an Army officer for assistance. The officer, in turn, reportedly reached out to police and Army formations in Abia State to establish whether the men were operating under their command.
The response, according to the victim’s account, was that none of the formations contacted recognised the team as theirs.
That raises an even more disturbing question: if they are not from Abia, Imo, Ebonyi or Enugu security formations, where exactly did they come from?
The Enugu–Port Harcourt corridor is one of the most important transportation routes in the Southeast. Thousands of people use it daily for business, work, family commitments and interstate travel. Security checkpoints are supposed to provide protection, prevent crime and reassure travellers.
They should not become sources of fear.
Of course, legitimate security operations must be distinguished from allegations of criminal conduct. Police officers and soldiers have a responsibility to stop suspected criminals, inspect vehicles and investigate suspicious movements. But where money is demanded from citizens without transparent legal justification, where suspects are allegedly forced to withdraw cash from POS operators, and where the identity of the personnel involved cannot be established, the matter demands urgent investigation.
There is also a wider security concern.
If genuine security personnel are involved, their respective commands need to identify them and establish whether their conduct is authorised.
If they are not genuine security personnel, then the possibility of criminals impersonating police officers or soldiers becomes even more serious.
Either way, the authorities cannot afford to look away.
The repeated complaints from motorists along the Okigwe axis deserve more than informal assurances. The police, Army and other relevant security agencies should investigate the checkpoints, establish the identity of the personnel operating them and make public the formations responsible for security operations along the route.
The Abia State, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi Government and the relevant local authorities also have a responsibility to demand answers.
For too long, motorists have reportedly endured harassment, intimidation and alleged extortion along this stretch of road.
The question is no longer whether travellers are complaining.
They are.
The real question is: who are the men behind these checkpoints, who authorised them, and why are motorists allegedly being forced to pay cash before they can continue their journeys?
That question requires an answer — and it requires one urgently.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Valentine Chimaobi Nwajiagu, was allegedly attacked on Sunday by a member of the Knights of St. John International, Sir Iyke Nwatakwocha, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, New GRA, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the 6am Mass, during which Fr. Nwajiagu participated in a priestly exchange programme at the parish.
Fr. Nwajiagu is the Assistant Parish Priest of Assumption Catholic Church, Nkwo Nike, Enugu.
Sources said Nwatakwocha, who was allegedly visibly angry, confronted the priest and damaged his vehicle. He was also said to have threatened some worshippers who attempted to intervene.
The reason for the alleged confrontation was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
However, some worshippers claimed that the same individual had allegedly confronted Fr. Nwajiagu earlier in the year at his parish, raising concerns that Sunday’s incident may have been a recurrence.
The worshippers urged the Catholic Diocese of Enugu to investigate the incident and take appropriate measures to prevent further confrontation involving the priest.
The allegations could not be independently verified as of press time.
Efforts to obtain the reactions of Fr. Nwajiagu, Nwatakwocha, the Knights of St. John International and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have dismantled three suspected IPOB/ESN camps and recovered weapons, explosives, and other logistics during an operation in Anambra State.
The operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, following intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN members operating around Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
The troops, operating under Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, carried out the operation alongside personnel of the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
According to the Nigerian Army on X on Saturday, the joint force came under hostile fire during the operation but “responded decisively, overwhelming the criminals after a fierce firefight.”
A cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
The Army said three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed during the operation, while the three camps were successfully overrun and destroyed.
Troops also recovered a cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite.
Other recovered items included four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
Further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, alongside a man and a woman suspected of being accomplices. The three were reportedly found in the company of six children.
The Commander of 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their “courage, discipline and outstanding inter-agency cooperation.”
He described the operation as “another major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South East.”
The Nigerian Army also assured residents that the newly established brigade would continue to sustain intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders.
The Brigade said it remains committed to “denying all criminal elements freedom of action” and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East region.
Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group of Companies, popularly known as Jezco, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of his abductors.
Ezeokafor, the father of popular social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while on his way to a prayer ground in Awka, Anambra State.
The businessman was reportedly released near the boundary between Anambra and Enugu States, close to Ebenebe, near Awka. A family member was said to have picked him up late at night after his release.
His freedom followed ransom negotiations between the kidnappers and his family. The abductors had initially demanded N700 million before reportedly increasing the ransom to N1.5 billion.
However, following negotiations, the family eventually agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to secure his release.
Details of the final amount agreed upon, including whether the full sum was paid before or after his release, were not immediately available.
His release has brought relief to his family, friends, business associates and well-wishers, following widespread concern over his abduction across Anambra State and beyond.
Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and subsequently expanded into other areas of manufacturing and business.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction and release, as well as the identities of the abductors, remain unclear.
-
Foreign5 days agoFamily Seeks Help to Locate Enugu Man in Dallas After Viral Social Media Post
-
News5 days ago15 Dead, 200 Buildings at Risk as Sand Mining Ravages Anambra Community
-
News5 days agoAnambra NDC Crisis Deepens As 2 Contending Aspirants Lose Assembly Ticket
-
Health4 days agoPeter Obi, Chinyeaka Ohaa Visit Parklane Hospital in Solidarity With Kidney Patients
-
Crime4 days agoEnugu: Police arrest 14 kidnap suspects, recover cache of arms, ammunition
-
Crime2 days ago
Army Destroys Three Suspected IPOB/ESN Camps, Kills Three in Anambra
-
News4 days agoMainPower calls for partnership, support to improve electricity service delivery
-
Business5 days agoPatience Jonathan Hails Azikel Boss Eruani as ‘Small Boy’ She Mentored Into Billionaire League