TRIBUNE
Nnanna Nwogu – Umuahia
An operative of the Abia State Vigilante Service, on Sunday, shot a 27-years-old staff of De Choice Eatery, Mr. Izuchukwu Mbakwe in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, when he asked about his unpaid five months’ salary from the manager of the Cafe.
The deceased’s community, Umuosu Okaiuga Nkwoegwu in Ohuhu, Umuahia North Local Government has demanded immediate justice.
It was gathered that, on Sunday, when the deceased was asking for his unpaid salaries, the Internal Auditor invited Abia Vigilante Service and demanded the arrest of Mbakwe over a missing “Nokia Torch” belonging to the company and allegedly threatened to kill him for asking for payment of his salary.
The source noted, “The De Choice Fast Food Organisation has been known for not paying people their salaries”.
The vigilante operatives who on arrival, proceeded to beat Mbakwe and “stripped him, and beat him to a stupor. On getting up to go away they shot him on his legs before firing the shot him at his lap at close range with a Pump Action Riffle, which affected his Femoral Artery.”
It was learnt that it took an uproar from customers for the victim to be brought to FMC Umuahia for treatment. He, however, lost his life at the point when he was about to be referred to a specialist hospital. He has been since deposited at the morgue.
A source had it that the “Nokia Torch” phone was later found to have been plugged in for charging at the DJ cubicle at the front of the office.
A colleague of the deceased also confirmed that they are being owed up to 5 Months’ salary arrears.
Confirming that her brother has not been paid for five months, Mbakwe’s elder sister, Mrs Adaora Chukwuemeka wondered why the employer has not communicated with the family, disclosing that late Mbakwe was left under the rain to bleed to death. She called for justice for her brother.
The deceased brother, Mbakwe Ikedichi in a statement he signed on behalf of the youths of his community said, “We call for the arrest and criminal prosecution of the organisation for murder and accomplices to murder, part of a criminal enterprise and the imposition of the harshest punishment that applicable by the law of the land.
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