By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The son of late traditional ruler of Amansea, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, Prince Ugochukwu Okonkwo, narrowly escaped death on Monday following an attack by suspected cultists at his residence at Ahocol Estate, Phase 2 Awka.

In a video made available toNews Expressfrom his hospital bed, Prince Ugochukwu alongside his Queen mother, Stella Okonkwo, claimed that cultists hired by Hon Boniface Okonkwo and son attacked them with the intention to kill him.

Narrating his ordeal in the video, Prince Ugochukwu accused former state House of Assembly member and his son – a Malaysia returnee Chisom Okonkwo – of leading the attack that nearly cost him his life.

He said: “I was in an occasion at Amansea when an unknown person called me on phone that there are invaders in my home vandalizing property there.I told my mother, the Queen who I was with at the occasion, and we left for the estate to ascertain what was happening there.

“On getting to our apartment, we saw Hon. Boniface Okonkwo and his son, Chisom Okonkwo. When I tried to ask the reason for their actions, his son, Chisom flared up shouting that he will show me that he is the leader of Ayes cult in Anambra State.

“They unleashed the axe and the cutlass they were with on me, stabbing my back and head as I made to flee from them. I sustained very severe injury and as my mother hurriedly wanted to take me to the hospital with her car on seeing that I was losing blood profusely, they attacked the car, smashing the windscreen and others.”

On her part, Ugochukwu’s mother, Mrs Stella Okonkwo, said that the former lawmaker who was her latehusband’s brother accused her of witchcraft and that she killed her husband with witchcraft and has been tormenting her and her children.

“He accused me of being responsible for my husband’s death and told my family to vacate the palace for him alive or in death.He hit me repeatedly until people started shouting. I did not do anything to Boniface. He only wants to be the Igwe of Amansea.

“He told us that he has money and would deal with us. He said he will kill us and nobody will challenge him in Anambra State,” she stated.

It was gathered that about 20 boys dressed in black stormed the apartment brandishing axe, guns and classes.

In his reaction, Hon Okonkwo denied the allegation that he carried out any attack on Prince Ugochukwu and his mother.

He rather claimed that it was his son, Chisom, that was attacked when he went to renovate his house on his return from overseas where he had his Master’s degree.

He added: “My son who came down from overseas where he went for his Master’s degree programme was in my house with just a laborer to renovate it when those people attacked him. Those people who complained to you attacked him.”

The lawmaker said that he had a cordial relationship with the late Igwe Kenneth Okonkwo who he described as a brother.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police is investigating the matter and will provide details later.

“It is a family fight that borders on the matter of sharing of property, the case was reported yesterday at ‘B’ Divisional Police headquarters in Awka.

“Meanwhile, the case has been transferred to state CID for further investigation,” he said.

In a chat with Bar Katchy Bielu, the lawyer of Prince Ugochukwu, he opined that the attack could be in connection to the quest to occupy the traditional stool left vacant as a result of the late monarch’s death.

Recall that the late traditional ruler of Amansea married two wives and both have been at loggerheads as to who replaces the departed monarch.