From Abubakar Yakubu, Abuja
Thursday June 20 appeared like any other day for Chukwu Chukwudi, a 37-year-old motor electrician. He arrived at his stand where he worked at Kugbo Mechanical Village, along the Abuja –Keffi Expressway in Abuja, without any premonition that danger was lurking in wait for him later in the day.
Some mechanics who work in the same area, said Chukwudi greeted everyone that came across him as usual and attended to some customers’ vehicles parked in front of his stand. He later left his workshop to find something to eat.
“After eating, around 3:25 pm, he returned to his stand and half an hour later, he saw two persons who came in a Honda vehicle quarrelling with a mechanic near his stand. As gathered, he then decided to enforce the mechanic union’s rules by taking them to the union’s office to settle their differences,” a mechanic who pleaded anonymity said.
He said while Chukwudi was leading the three of them to the office, one of the customers, a man in civilian clothes but who was described as a soldier, stopped halfway and said he wasn’t going to the office. But Chukwudi allegedly insisted he must go and held on to the soldier. Saturday Sun gathered that his action infuriated the customer who instantly brought out a jack knife and stabbed the auto electrician on the hand.
“After stabbing Chukwudi on the left hand, the soldier made for the markets exist route to leave the scene but Chukwudi ran after him and grabbed him.
“The soldier then used his knife to stab him on the neck and he fell to the ground instantly, while the culprit escaped,” the witness said.
He said other mechanics around apprehended the second person that the suspected soldier came with and handed him over to the union officials who invited the police.
The witness said the police came immediately to make some arrests as well as carry out investigations, while Chukwudi was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead by a doctor.
Saturday Sun learnt that after the killing, a mob gathered and rushed to where the customer’s vehicle was parked and set it ablaze.
Another witness spoken to lamented that the issue of dispute did not concern Chukwudi but that he only wanted to maintain peace when the two customers were exchanging fisticuffs with the mechanic.
“I don’t know the full gist of the issue that led to the quarrel but it seems it was about shortage of payment, as the mechanic was seriously agitated and wasn’t prepared to let go of one of the customers, who drove the car,” the witness said.
He said Chukwudi was bent on taking all three to the union’s office so that the issue could be settled once and for all.
A mechanic who works near the incident area disclosed that they are used to harassment by some security personnel, adding that this only happens when they are not satisfied with jobs done on their vehicles. “For example on one occasion two security men ordered a mechanic to enter the booth of their car and after much pleading and assurance that the work would be done well, the mechanic was released,” he said.
Majority of the mechanics and traders near the slain electrician’s stand were seen discussing the issue when our reporter visited the incident scene on Saturday. Some of them spoken to appealed to the police to apprehend the main suspect who stabbed Chuckwudi so that he can face the law and be punished. “The police are trying these days and I hope they apprehend the killer so that he faces the law court and is hanged for killing our brother,” another mechanic said.
A video clip seen by this reporter showed Chukwudi lying on the ground without a shirt and blood gushing out of his left hand and neck where he was stabbed.
A crowd was also seen around him and some persons were heard condemning the action of his attacker and calling for assistance to rush him to the hospital. A retired military man, Mohammed Isah, advised civilians, especially mechanics at Kugbo Mechanic Villag,e not to challenge any soldier but rather report them to military police posts to effect their arrest.
“Soldiers are trained to kill and they will do anything to try to keep themselves safe or escape from difficult situations,” he advised. He said rather than trying to force the soldier to the union’s office, the mechanics would have rushed across the expressway to a military checkpoint to lay a report of the soldier’s conduct and wait for the military to effect the arrest.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Superintendent Joseph Adeh, confirmed the killing and said the police commissioner has ordered an investigation.
According to her, “following a tragic incident at Kugbo Mechanic on Thursday June 20 at 4 pm, involving a mechanic and four other, currently at large, including one Tijani Uzairu, who brought a vehicle for repairs; a mechanic was stabbed to death.” She said preliminary investigation revealed that an argument ensued between them and the mechanic upon which one Chukwu Chukwudi was stabbed on the neck with a dagger by one of the suspects.
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the police operatives from Karu Police Division mobilised to the scene, where one Tijani Uzairu who accompanied the other suspects was arrested and the victim rushed to the hospital where the doctor on duty confirmed him dead.
“The Commissioner of Police, Benneth C. Igweh has ordered that a discreet investigation be conducted into the matter as normalcy has been returned,” she added. She said the commissioner also advised members of the public to shun all acts of violence, noting that the consequences are mostly dire and regrettable.