From: Obinna Odogwu, Ekwulobia
About 14 persons, on Wednesday, sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries following an alleged sporadic shooting by a private security aide working for a businessman, Mr. Vincent Udeobi (Onwa). The incident happened at Ifitedunu community in Dunukofia council area of Anambra State during Ede Opoto festival of the community.
According to eyewitnesses, the security aide, whose name was simply given as Mongo Park, released some shots in the air, perhaps, to scare away the crowd which was following his master who was said to be spraying money. The gunshots, it was gathered, hit the gate and boomeranged, injuring about 14 persons in the process.
“He was spreading money but his security personnel were making efforts to stop the crowd following him. At a point, one of his armed thugs shot in the air. It hit the gate and boomeranged. It injured about 14 persons” an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said.
“They were rushed to Edozie Hospital and Maternity, Ifitedunu and Ndeli Hospital, Awkuzu for treatment. But the unfortunate thing is that the shooter has no licence to carry guns. They were using pump action rife” he added.
When Daily Sun visited the hospitals, some of the victims were writhing in pains. At Ndeli Hospital, a 14-year-old boy, Pascal, who had a bullet in his heart, was waiting for operation. They victims were scared to speak to our reporter. It was later gathered that they were warned not to speak to the press.
All efforts to reach the businessman proved abortive as he neither picked his phone calls nor replied his text message.
Contacted on the telephone, the police spokesperson in the state, Mrs. Nkeiruka Nwode, said she would get back to our reporter for response but never did as at the time of filing this report.