By Kelechi Azubuike

The Police in Abuja are fighting hard to unravel the mystery surrounding the brutal killing of a 39-year-old International businessman,Tony Eze, recently, at Tungama area of Zuba. The father of two was killed around 7:20pm after he had drinks with three of his friends on the fateful day.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Eyewitness account said the Enugu-State born businessman met his untimely death while he was trying to avoid a porthole, just few meters away from the refreshment garden where he went with his friends for conviviality.

A trader who preferred anonymity told Crime Guard that he gathered from the friends he went out with the details of how he was killed.

According to the trader, “Those his friends told me that after their successful business day, in the evening about 5pm, three of them went out with Tony (the deceased) to a refreshment garden in Tungamaji along Zuba express road, Abuja, to have some drinks. Around 7:20pm, they set to leave, moving in a motorcade and his friends were in the front.

Tony was the last to join before he was blocked and shot dead inside his car. They said he was shot after he slowed down to traverse the culvert that leads to the express road. They also said they heard a bang at their back but thought that Tony must have hit something but they proceeded on, believing that if truly he did, he (Tony) will call them back for assistance.”

CALLS FOR HELP

Police sources said report gotten from the scene revealed that the women that served drink to the deceased and his friends on the very day said she heard a sound like an exhaust before she over heard someone shouting help! help! help!, and she ran to the scene and discovered it was the young man she served drink a couple of minutes ago. She said he was struggling on his pull of blood while his assailants had disappeared from the scene.

She raised alarm calling people for help and at the same time had to put a call to the deceased friends to come back, that their business partner had been shot. According to her, the friends arrived immediately and got the police who carried his body to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

COLLEGUES REACT

When Crime Guard visited Zuba Auto Spare Parts market where the deceased plied his trade, many of his colleagues could not hold back tears as they lamented the way he was killed. One of them who simply introduced himself as Benson said: “Tony was an international business young man with strength of character and dependable level of morality. His integrity has never been in doubt by all that came across him.

When we heard news of his demise, most of us could control our emotions as we rained curses on his killers. His brutal killing has continued to baffle everyone as he was shot by assassins while driving out after having a good evening time with his friends in a nearby refreshment garden in (Tungamaji) not quite a distance from Zuba auto parts market Abuja, where he plies his trade.

DASHED EXPECTATIONS

We learnt also that the deceased was expecting his containers of goods to arrive the country from China and the goods were shipped two days before he was shot.

The youths and the entire traders are not comfortable with the way the police is handling the case and we are planning to protest to the police headquarters if the police failed to carry out arrest and bring perpetratorS of this heinous act to book without delay.

CHALLENGE TO POLICE

A visibly angry youth who gave his name as Uchendu also bared his mind: “This one will not be like past ones. Over the years, the Nigerian police and other security agencies have had the challenge of having to unravel those behind a long list of cases of assassination across the length and breadth of the country.

And if you ask many Nigerians, they will assert that many of such cases are yet to be sufficiently addressed. This time, we will not fold our arms and keep silent over this case. This man was an easy going young man and does not deserve this.

Moreover, this has to be investigated to the root in order to avert future occurrences. You don’t know whose turn it will be tomorrow and if this wicked act did not stop now, especially in this kind of environment where everyone is struggling to survive, I am afraid more evil will be done. We urge the police to move into action and bring those behind the act to book.”

SHOCKING REVEALATION

Meanwhile, police sources hinted that some friends to the slain business man said they noticed that the young man’s Whatsap line has, surprisingly, been active in spite of the fact that his assailants made away with his telephones. Efforts made to speak with the Police spokesman in Abuja failed as his lines were busy when he was called but a source intimated that detectives are seriously on the trail of the assailants and will soon come out with results.