Tension As Soldiers Enforcing Curfew Kill 62-Year-Old Enugu Electrician

An electrician residing in Enugu state has been killed by some Soldiers enforcing a curfew imposed on two local government areas of the state.

The victim has been identified as 62-year-old Joseph Uja. The sad incident happened in Enugu Ezike.

Enugu-Ezike is in the Igbo-Eze North LGA, one of the councils affected by the 6pm to 6am curfew. The second council is Igbo-Eze South.

PUNCH Metro gathered on Sunday that the killing sparked tension around Enugu-Ezike town of Ogurute, as people feared a reprisal from community youths.

A resident, who asked not to be identified for security reasons, told our correspondent on Sunday that the soldiers mistakenly shot the victim while he passed their checkpoint.

Uja was reportedly returning from Nsukka, where he went to buy electrical materials for his customers when the incident happened.

The resident said, “Joseph Uja was killed by soldiers who were trying to deflate somebody’s tyres yesterday. Uja was from Igogoro, Enugu Ezike, Igboeze North LGA.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Nigerian Army were unsuccessful, as neither the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, nor the Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, responded to calls or text messages from our correspondent.

Also, when the state police spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, was contacted on the telephone, he did not take his calls.