Tragedy struck yesterday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, as a 32-year-old man allegedly attacked six members of his family with a cutlass.

Eye witnesses accounts said Henry Igwe, swooped on the family members at No 10, Barrister Egbu Crescent, Aguogboriga, and inflicted varying degrees of injuries on them in the early hours of the day.

Two of the victims included the Personal Assistant to the Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Mr. Tobias Igwe, and his wife.

A close member of the family, Nwabuchi Onuagaba, said given the peaceful atmosphere in the family, they had no premonition of the impending tragedy.

It was gathered that given the severity of the machete cuts, Tobias was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in Enugu, while his wife and four others were receiving treatment at the Plastic and Surgical Unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki as at the time of filing this report.

One of the victims, Miss Ijeoma Igwe, explained that their brother Henry attacked them early in the morning while they were still on their beds.

She pointed out that it was an unprovoked attack as he was not known to be mentally ill as at the time of the incident.

“We were woken up by a heavy sound suggesting a fight between two or more people.

“I ran upstairs to find out what was wrong, only to behold my brother and his wife lying in the pool of their blood,” she said.

Another victim, Miss Florence Igwe, said Henry first launched the attack on Igwe and his wife and further attacked them when they intervened to stop him.

“I was awakened from sleep by the commotion that early morning. I was running up and down, asking them what was happening. Immediately, one of my brothers, dashed out from the house with blood all over him.

“His attacker descended on me, too, when I wanted to intervene. He cut me in the head. He has been rushed to a hospital in Enugu with one other person,” she said.

The Public Relations Officer of the state Judiciary, Eugene Okafor, confirmed the attack, noting that he was responding to treatment.

However, when contacted on telephone, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Jude Madu, could not react to the incident, saying he was indisposed. (Daily Sun)

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