Nonsochukwu Uwa, Owerri
Ikengaonline has exclusively gathered how an Army couple, one Sergeant A.M Linus and his wife Nneka Oguzie, were reportedly killed by unknown gunmen operating within the thick forests of Orlu and Orsu local government areas in Imo State, while trying to find their way to their destination.
The news about their killing broke on May 2, 2022, while they were travelling to perform traditional marriage rites in Imo State.
Ikengaonline met with a family member of Nneka from Umunwoke, a village in Eziama-Obaire Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, who narrated the incident and pleaded that his name should not be mentioned for security purposes.
Our source said that trouble started when the army couple lost their way but as they were asking for direction, unknowingly to them they ran into the den of unknown gunmen laying ambush.
The matter became worse as the unknown gunmen were annoyed after searching and finding ID cards, which showed that Nneka and her husband were members of the Nigerian military, one of the reasons the gunmen gave before allegedly killing them in the forest.
According to our source, “the beginning and end of the story is that the lady is from my place. Her name is Nneka Matthew Oguzie. I know her very well. As I am talking to you everybody has run away from their family.
“So, the lady in question had married before and had three kids. They were coming back in a Siena vehicle with her husband, Nneka’s mother and her first daughter, as well as Nneka’s younger brother. They killed Nneka and her husband and beheaded them in front of the mother and her first daughter. The gunmen later freed Nneka’s mother, daughter and younger brother.”
On how it happened, he narrated that “When they were coming home it was like they lost their way and started asking questions on how they can get home. It was from there they got to where the road was blocked, and they asked those guys to remove the roadblock so that they could pass.
“Nneka explained to them that she was a soldier, but she did not know that she was talking to the wrong people. You know how these unknown gunmen dress. She thought they were ordinary security men. It was then the gunmen asked them to come down and they started searching them and found their ID card. From there they forced them back into the car and drove them through the bush paths right into the forest where it was said they raped her and cut off her head and that of her husband. This incident happened within the forest area of Orlu, Orsu local government areas,” the source revealed.
President Muhammadu Buhari had described the killing of the couple as “unacceptable” and directed the security agencies to do all that is possible to apprehend those behind the crime.
