From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
An Enugu based journalist, Dennis Agbo, yesterday, escaped death by the whiskers after he and four others were brutally attacked by armed youths from Neke community in Isi-uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Agbo, who reports for Vanguard in Enugu, said he had mobilised four labourers to clear a farmland located at Ugwuoke Unele Umuarama in Ikem in the same local government area, but on getting to the location, he discovered that some people had built houses on the land.
He said while he was still trying to find out the owners of one of the houses, about 10 boys, who were mobilised to the scene, descended on them and beat them to stupor.
“They kidnapped us with the two motorcycles we went there with. They took another Ikem person to their village in Neke.
“They now mobilised over 300 boys who were fully armed with all sorts of weapons, including charms. They said they would kill us. At the end of the day they decided to set us free. They said we should go and tell our people that they were prepared for war with our people. One of them, Sunday Ekwu, was the one who negotiated for our release.
“I was seriously beaten. One of us is already in the hospital because his eye was badly damaged. They seized some of our personal belongings, including phones, wheelbarrows and other items. We were held hostage for more than three hours. My head and other parts of my body are full of bruises,” he explained.
Agbo, who revealed that the attack has been reported to the police, insisted that the land in question belongs to his family, adding that his late uncle had lived his entire life there and was buried in the same place.