By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was dramatic scene in Awka, the capital city of Anambra on Thursday, as a man and his pregnant wife were beaten to near death by suspected debtors who bought free drink from their shop.
The incident happened along the Odogwu Awka Street, where the victims’ shop was said to be located.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, who bumped into the rowdy scene, gathered that the victims had been rushed to the hospital, while the two attackers and suspected debtors were seen, seated on the floor of the street, with drops of fresh and congealed blood on different parts of their bodies.
Also seen at the scene were three police officers who were said to have rescued the suspects from lynching by the angry mob and denizens of the street.
Upon inquiry, it was alleged that the suspects came this morning and consumed some bottles of alcoholic drinks and eggs in a shop in the streets, together with a lady.
“After they finished drinking and were about to go, I told them that their bill was N5,300; but they snubbed me and only told me that it was the landlord who bought them the drinks,” a sales boy in the shop recounted to this reporter in Igbo language.
“I reached out to the landlord immediately and asked him, and he didn’t accept the claims by the people that he would pay for the drinks. Then, I approached them again over the bill as they were leaving, and they started to intimidate me.
“Luckily, my madam came back from the market and saw us dragging about it in the street. After hearing what happened, she joined to urge and even beg the people to pay for what they bought.
“Then, one of them used their motorcycle tyre to trample my madam’s feet on the ground, intimidating her as well, telling her to shut up.
“When my madam pushed out the motorcycle’s tyre from her leg, one of them alighted and slapped her, while they parked the motorcycle and joined hands to beat her. And she is pregnant,” he narrated.
According to the sales boy, it was when the debtors were beating his madam that the husband heard what was happening and rushed out to intervene, while they also bounced on him, using stone and wood (with nails on it) to attack him and his wife.
This, his said, attracted the attention of the denizens of the street, who immediately intervened, rushed and apprehended the two debtors as they wanted to escape, and began to pound them, while the lady they bought drink and eggs for immediately disappeared.
Some of the residents also joined hand to board the pregnant woman and her husband into tricyle and rushed them to a nearby hospital, as they were bleeding profusely, having been severely injured by the debtors.
“It was when the street people were beating them that police now arrived and rescued them,” he added (also in Igbo language).
This reporter observed that the suspects were also injured on the head and other parts of their bodies by the angry mob, before the police intervention.
The suspects were, thereafter, taken to the police station for further interrogation and investigation.
