A yet‑to‑be‑identified official of the Abia State vigilante group shot and killed Izuchukwu Mbakwe, a 27‑year‑old employee of De Choice Eatery in Umuahia, the state capital. Mbakwe, a native of Umuosu Okaiuga Nkwoegwu in Umuahia North Local Government, was shot at close range on his lap on Sunday, a wound that severed his femoral artery and proved fatal.
According to reports, Mbakwe arrived for his regular duties when the internal auditor summoned vigilante security guards and demanded his arrest over a missing “Nokia Torch” belonging to the company. The guards allegedly stripped him, beat him until he was unconscious, and then shot him with a pump‑action rifle. Customers’ outcry finally prompted his transport to FMC Umuahia for treatment, but he died while being transferred to a specialist hospital and was later placed in the morgue.
A colleague of the deceased claimed that Mbakwe was owed up to five months’ salary arrears. His elder sister, Mrs. Adaora Chukwuemeka, confirmed that he had not been paid for five months and criticized the employer for failing to communicate with the family. She said her brother was left in the rain to bleed to death and called for justice.
State Police Public Relations Officer SP Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident, condemning the vigilante operatives’ actions and questioning why the suspect was not immediately handed over to police for investigation. He stated that the suspect has been apprehended and his firearm recovered.
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