Tragedy struck at Umuoru Etiti village, Ubulu Community in Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State when irate villagers set the house of a South African-based business man, Mr. Declan Nsofor, ablaze.
Nsofor had on Tuesday allegedly killed his kinsman, Mr. Odenigbo Ife (aka Ideh) in South Africa with a large stone over a business deal gone bad.
The video of Odenigbo’s death went viral on social media and incited the youths.
According to social media accounts, Odenigbo was a surety for Nsofor over a business deal.
But, after several months, Nsofor was said to be foot dragging in paying the debt, a development that got Odenigbo querying him.
It was gathered that in an attempt to get him to start paying the debt, a fight ensued between the two in the presence of most Igbo residents in South Africa.
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The footage showed Nsofor stone the deceased as he fall on the ground and died instantly.
Angered by the development, relatives of the deceased from Amorie Ubulu mobilised and set the house of the suspect on fire, a community source told our correspondent.
Apart from setting the house of the suspects ablaze, the irate youths destroyed his property.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, said that the police had begun the manhunt for those who set the house ablaze.
The police spokesperson said: “Information revealed that two brothers, one Nsofor Nwazugbo, of Etiti Ubulu and one Ideh Odenigbo of Amorie Ubulu, residents in South Africa had conflict of interest in the early hour of today which resulted in fight and led to the death of Ideh Odenigbo in South Africa.
“Information got to the village youths whereby the angry youths of the deceased person set the house of the suspect and properties worth millions of Naira ablaze.
“We mobilised to the scene, took photographs of the burnt building. No arrest had been made yet but serious effort is in progress to arresting the perpetrators for possible prosecution.”
THE NATION
