Double tragedy: Man drowns while excavating sand

it was a weekend of double tragedy in Abia State as armed robbers shot dead a member of Abia State Vigilante Services (AVS) popularly known as Bakassi Boys, in Aba, while another man got drowned excavating sand.

It was gathered that at about 2.30 p.m. last Friday, armed robbers invaded No. 66 Item Road within the Ngwa/Ohanku Road axis and robbed the occupants of the building of their cash and other valuables. Sources told Daily Sun that during the raid, the robbers found out that one of the occupants of the build­ing identified as Isreal Njoku was a member of the Bakassi Boys and shot him dead instantly. Njoku was said to have pleaded with the invaders to spare his life, but apparently sensing that their lives would be in danger if they spared his life, they pulled the trigger. In another development on the same day, a 20-year-old man identified as Ugonna Ike drowned in Imo River while excavating sand. The deceased, a native of Uratta in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area, was said to have gone with one Osinachi to the River at Ahiaba Ubi in the same local government area to excavate sand and drowned in the process. According to eyewitness account, efforts to rescue him failed. When contacted, the Abia State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna said he was yet to receive in­formation on the shooting of the AVS man.