By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was an emotional moment of shock, disbelief, and outrage in Etiti Village, Igbo-ukwu, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, as village youths stormed the compound of a dreaded native doctor and rescued his only son, who had allegedly been chained and locked inside a yam barn for over four years.
The victim, identified as Chigbo Agudo, was discovered after a rumour and suspicion compelled the youths to swing into action and demand answers about his sudden disappearance. For years, villagers were made to believe that Chigbo had travelled to China, a narrative repeatedly told by his father, who is feared in the community for his activities as a native doctor. Unknown to them, the young man had been languishing in chains within the compound.
The rescue operation and the emotion were captured in a video from the scene, which is currently trending on social media, and in which it was observed that even when the youths confronted Chigbo’s father about his son’s whereabouts, he remained defiant, insisting that Chigbo was his child and that whether dead or alive, it was nobody’s business. The angry youths vehemently opposed this response vowed to expose any evil they see in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s security advocacy: “If you see something, say something”.
The response from Chigbo’s father further inflamed suspicion, prompting the youths to ransack his compound. And to their horror and shock, they eventually uncovered the young man, chained both hands and legs inside the family yam barn.
The viral video also captures the pathetic state and heartrending condition of the victim, who, during interview, revealed that he had been locked up since July 3, 2021. According to him, he was initially kept outside (also behind the compound) but was later moved into the yam barn a month later when he fell ill. Since then, he had remained there, occasionally mouth-tied and surviving on occasional meals.
As is seen in the video, the rescuers faced difficulty unlocking him, as the padlock and chains had rusted after years of disuse. Even after applying oil to the key, it could not still open, forcing the youths to cut through the chain with a saw before finally setting him free.
Reports have it that Chigbo’s ordeal was orchestrated not only by his father but also in connivance with his father’s in-law from the second wife. It was also gathered that he (Chigbo) is the only son of his father, from the first wife.
Although the reason behind locking Chigbo up is yet to be ascertained, reacting on social media, some netizens who claim to have known and played football together with him back then in the village before his disappearance; claimed that he used to be somewhat stubborn, which may be the reason why his father decided to lock him up. However, many others condemned what they described as the inhumanity of chaining a human being, regardless of the circumstances. Some other commenters also called for a thorough investigation into the matter to establish the real motive and ensure justice.
When this reporter, Izunna Okafor, contacted him, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed that he had seen the video, but, said the Command was still investigating and making necessary contacts to get full details of the incident.
Watch the video below:
