One Nwali Sunday, a town crier at Igbudu community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has been reportedly stabbed to death.
The village head, Joseph Nweke, according to New Telegraph, had asked Sunday to beat the community’s gong and inform the people of the need to clean the community pond, their source of drinking water.
While carrying out the assignment, along side a four-man committee, a gang in the area allegedly led by a former village head had laid ambush on them, stabbing Sunday to death and leaving the others severely injured.
An undisclosed source said: “The village head mandated Nwali Sunday to head a four-man committee which would go to the various villages and inform them that everybody should come out to clean up the pond.
“The decision of the village head to summon the people did not go down well with (name withheld) and his gang as they went to force Sunday and the committee members to rescind the order given to them by the village head but they refused.”
The source added that Sunday and his men had insisted that it was the village head that authorised them to make the announcement, hence, they will carry out the task.
“In the process, they waylaid the town crier and his other colleagues. Sunday was killed while others were seriously wounded and are still battling to stay alive at the hospital now,” the source added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP George Okafor, when contacted, confirmed that four persons had been arrested in connection with the killing.
The Chairman of Ikwo Local Government Area, Hon Joseph Orogwu, also said the police were already handling the matter.
He promised that his administration would continue to ensure peace in the area, adding that those causing problem in the community were people who do not want peace.