An elderly man, Samuel Ezechinyelugo, who was allegedly attacked on January 10, 2017 by his half brothers, following which he had his two legs broken within the premises of Abagana Magistrate Court, Anambra State, has cried out for justice.

It was gathered that Ezechinyelugo had been embroiled in a family feud with his half-brothers who he accused of planning to assassinate him.

He, however, sustained the injuries to his legs when he went to court in respect of two cases instituted against him by a member of his larger family, Mr. Ignatius Ochiagha.

While in the court premises, he was accosted by three men on a motor cycle during which his two legs were broken with a metal rod.

Narrating his ordeal from his hospital bed, Ezechinyelugo said: “On January 10, 2017 at about 8am, I went to Abagana Chief Magistrate’s Court in respect of two cases they instituted against me in 2014.

“As I crossed the entrance gate into the court premises, I saw Ignatius Ochiagha, a member of Ogbudike family and complainant in the two cases for that day; Okeke Ochiagha his elder brother, a witness for Ignatius and Sunday Ugo Okafor, another witness for Ignatius with their lawyer C.C.Chukwudi, standing beside a black Mercedes Benz jeep.

“I crossed them and preceded to court II in front of the local government house and three motorcyclists double crossed me.

“One person from the motorcycle jumped down armed with a strong metal rod; the type used by iron benders and clubbed me down.

“While I lay on the ground Ignatius Ochiagha and Sunday Ugo Okafor rushed to the assassin and urged him to shatter my legs so I don’t walk again; and finally to hit me on the head to end the whole issue.

“I used my left hand to wedge the hit and my left hand was injured and my two legs were shattered.

“As I shouted, one Ugochukwu Leonard, the prosecutor in the court rushed out with two people in court I and the assailants drove away.”

Ezechinyelugo, however, petitioned the Anambra Police Commissioner asking the police to bring his assailants to book but said the police was yet to make any arrests.

When News Express met with the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP Nkeiru Nwode, she requested for the petition of Ezechinyelugo which she claimed was not in Police file.

She also requested for Ezechinyelugo’s photographs which were taken from his hospital bed but two weeks after the PPRO received those materials, the police is yet to take any step.

When the PPRO was contacted, she asked the reporter to go and look for the petition to know where it has been channeled because “I don’t follow up petitions to know which file they have been referred to.”

While condemning security’s lacklustre attitude on the matter, Ezechinyelugo lamented that his printing press and his family house have also been razed.

Reacting to the situation, Ezechinyelugo’s lawyer, B.S. Onuegbu said that there is something that meet the eyes in the whole matter saying: “How can police be complacent in criminal matters of such nature?”

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