Stray bullet kills Gov. Orji’s relation at reception party

Governor Orji and his wife, Nene arriving for the reception

Governor Orji, his wife, Nene, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu(fifth right), Sarah Jubril at the event

The government of the eastern Nigerian state of Abia has announced the death of a relation of Governor Theodore Orji, who was hit by a stray bullet Saturday, at a reception in honour of the governor.
The incident happened after Governor Orji and his wife, Nene, had left the venue of the reception, according to Dr. Eze Chikamnayo, commissioner for information.
The victim was identified as John Ndubuka, who was an aide to Chinedu Orji, the governor’s son. He was hit by the bullet, suspected to have been fired by the police, as he was about leaving the venue of the reception organised to honour Governor Orji by the Ikwuano-Umuahia people.
Ndukuba’s relationship with the governor was not stated in the press statement by Government House.
But Chikamnayo said the police have promised to get to the root of the matter.
The Police meanwhile said that they had arrested three policemen in connection with Saturday’s killing.
The Abia Police Command spokesman, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonnaya (ASP), said the suspects were arrested between Saturday evening and Sunday morning, adding that the command had commenced full investigation into the incident.
An eye-witness said that the deceased, who was part of the crowd at the site of the old Umuahia main market, where the event took place, suddenly slumped and started bleeding.
‘’When he slumped, nobody knew what happened to him, until we saw blood gushing out from his chest,’’ the eyewitness said on the condition of anonymity.
The deceased was said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where he reportedly died.
Ogbonnaya explained that the investigation would help the police to unravel the circumstances that led to the death.