Gunmen kill 17-year-old barber in Nsukka community

Confusion, apprehension has engulfed Owerre EzeOrba community in Udenu local government area of Enugu State over the killing of a 17-year-old barber of the community that shares an adjourning boundary with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka main campus.

The 17-year-old barber simply identified as Kelechi Onah was shot on the throat after allegedly barbing one of his assailants.

Investigations revealed that the deceased after barbing one his assailants who alerted his accomplices that stormed the salon with two motorcycles pulled a gun and shot the barber on the throat region and fled leaving their victim in a pool of his own blood.

Vanguard gathered that residents of the community nearby the salon who were alerted by the gunshot, ran to the salon shop only to see Kelechi in a pool of his blood struggling between life and death.

A reliable source close to Vanguard who would not want his name in print disclosed that the incident occurred around 4 pm when he noticed four young men patrolling the area with two motorcycles, alleging that as soon as he heard the gunshot and rushed out to the scene, the barber was almost lifeless.

Chinekwu Onah, cousin of the deceased barber said, “I was outside playing draft game with others, few meters away from the scene of the incident and heard gunshot, all of us rushed to know what was wrong only to see my cousin Kelechi already covered by his own blood, I shouted and rushed to alert the chairman of the neighbourhood watch in my area Belushi Agbo who arrived at the scene and all of us joined hands in searching for the hoodlums ” he said.

“On intelligent information from residents of the area who saw when the hoodlums fled, we were able to apprehend one of the suspected assailants of the barber, who on apprehension had a fresh haircut with bloodstains on his shirt.”

According to Chinekwu, " I touched his head and some particles of haircut stuck my hand as a result of its freshness, we apprehended him and handed him over to the police at Udenu Police Area Command for further interrogation over the alleged killing of the barber” he noted.

Contacted for comments over the incident, Enugu State police public relations officer, PPRO Daniel Ndukwe ASP confirmed the incident at Owerre EzeOrba community, saying that one of the suspects has been arrested and handed over to the criminal investigation department, CID of the state police command for further investigation while manhunt efforts have been intensified to track down the other fleeing suspects.