Abduction: Father of slain Anambra lawyer slumps, dies

The father of an Nnewi, Anambra State-based legal practitioner, Jude Oguejiofor, Principal Partner in Oguejiofor & Co Chamber, has slumped and died, after hearing abductors had killed his son.

Oguejiofor and his brother, a medical doctor, were ambushed and abducted on their way to see their parents on Sunday. It was gathered that the medical doctor was released later. However, while family members were making efforts to bargain for his release, the kidnappers contacted them and informed them of the lawyer’s demise.

It was learnt that the gunmen expressed dismay that the lawyer was in the habit of reporting their activities to the government. A source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “I normally followed Jude home to visit his parents. He has never had any issue with gunmen in the community. Infact, whenever I accompanied him home, they would search me but would not search Jude.

“When he went home with his brother who just bought a new Lexus Jeep, he didn’t have an issue with anybody until we heard that the two of them had been abducted.

“The gunmen later released his brother but held onto him, alleging he had been writing petitions to the Anambra State government on their activities.

“They promised he would be released as soon as they complete their investigations. However, they later contacted the family and told them to forget about the legal practitioner, adding that he had been killed.”

When contacted, the spokesperson for Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said: “There’s no such report before me.” In a reaction, the Eastern Bar Forum (EBF) said it was deeply saddened and outraged by the assassination of one of its members.

It described Oguejiofor as a beacon of integrity and a pillar of the legal community in the Eastern region. Condemning the act, EBF called on law enforcement agencies to swiftly investigate the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.