Angry youths, yesterday, set ablaze a section of the “Our Guest Hotel,” in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, where a young man was allegedly tortured to death on Sarturday.
It was gathered that the youth, whose name was given as Ebuka Nwneri, was tortured to death by a hotelier and a soldier on Saturday.
A community source claimed that Nwneri was tortured and locked up in a generator house of a hotel described as “Our Guest hotel,” where he was said to have died.
The deceased was accused of stealing a phone said to belonged to the soldier, who came to the hotel to “catch fun.”
As a result, the deceased was said to have been summoned by the hotelier and the soldier, after interrogation, and it was followed by “torture” of Nwneri, who was locked in a generator house.
A community source told newsmen, “Those who tortured, locked up the deceased in a generator house include the owner of the hotel, a soldier and one other guy. They accused the deceased of stealing a phone belonging to the soldier. They invited the guy (Ebuka Nwneri). They beat him up and locked him up in a generator house. He died there. The youths are now protesting and threatening that they will destroy the hotel.”
Meanwhile, state Police Command has arrested the owner of the hotel, one Ibe Obasi.
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According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, “Operatives of Obowo Divisional Headquarters have arrested the owner of ‘Our Guest House,’ Umulogho, Obowo, Mr. Ibe Obasi, 38 years, who was allegedly involved in the murder of a 25-year-old Ebuka Udemba, an indigene of Umuokpa in Obowo LGA of Imo State.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was tortured and locked up inside the generator room of the said guest house by the suspect and two others at large, where he suffocated to death, on the accusation of stealing a customer’s handset.
Accordingly, the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Owerri, for consolidation of the ongoing investigation. He has provided useful information that will assist the determined operatives in arresting all the suspects in connection to the case.”
