Published Oct.1, 2022
MAN MURDERS YOUNGER BROTHER, SENDS ASSASSINS AFTER CHILDREN OVER FAMILY LAND DISPUTE
Mr. Akowa Richard, Aka, Osuala was allegedly murdered by his senior brother, Mr. Akowa Joseph, popularly known as, Janjala over a of land property inherited from their father, late Pa. Akowa Okoh.
Ika Weekly Newspaper Reporter, as at the time of filing this report, learnt that problem between late Mr. Akowa Richard and his Senior, Joseph started in January, 2021 when Joseph decided to sell the piece of land that is meant for himself and his junior brother, Richard.
A source who spoke to the Journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the of land property which is located along Owa-Oyibu Road, Agbor Delta State was inherited by Joseph and Richard from their father, late Pa. Akowa Okoh.
The source told Journalists that when Joseph had the information about the intentions of the Delta State Government, led by Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to take over their their land to build the Faculty of Law of the University of Delta, Agbor, he went to approach Richard that they should sell the land before the Government will take over it.
He said when Richard refused to comply with Joseph, he became very angry. One day, Joseph being the head of the family, went and divided the land into two places, took one side and sold it to someone else to make money.
After some months, when Joseph noticed that development has truly come to the area as a result of the University Faculty that was brought there by the Delta State Government, he decided to also sell the remaining part he left for his brother, Richard.
When Richard got the information that his only reserved land had been sold to someone else by his senior brother, he went to Joseph to ask him why he did so.
Joseph, instead of appealing to Richard and making peace with him, started threatening to kill him if he makes any noise about the land.
Few days after, Richard took the Police to get Joseph arrested. The matter was later charged to Court where Joseph lost the case and was ordered by the Court to give his brother's land back to him, or should be ready to face the consequences in accordance with the rule of law (Nigeria Constitution)
One day in October 1st, 2022 at about 11 pm, Joseph, (Janjala) brought some boys to Richard's residence and shot him dead. The source said that Joseph after confirming that his brother is no more, said, " I Joseph has decided to kill you stubborn man. Go and rest in hell".
While making this statement, Joseph did not know that the deceased son, Chika, Innocent and his children were inside the room where they his themselves, listening to him and they heard all he said.
It got to a point, when Chika Innocent noticed that his uncle, Joseph and his boys might come after them, he decided to open the back door of the house and escaped, leaving his wife, Mrs. Chika Obiaderi Precious and her child in the room.
It was also gathered that one of the sons of late Mr. Richard Akowa, Mr. Abraham Akowa was beaten up and set ablaze by Joseph and his boys on his way back from the Filling Station on the 21st of July, 2022.
The information had that Abraham who is the immediate senior brother to Chika, Innocent went to the Filling Station at Abudu, a village in Edo State that is very closer to Delta State, to buy fuel when he was attacked by Joseph and his boys on his way back home.
He was beaten up mercilessly, and set ablaze with the gallon of fuel in his hand. His body and Motorcycles were burnt, but to God be the glory, he survived it after medical treatment at the Central Hospital, Agbor.
The source also informed the reporter that Chika Innocent's wife and children were met in the room the next morning unharmed, as Uncle Joseph and his boys could not locate where she was bidding with her girl child. The source went further to inform Journalists that Joseph has vowed to deal with any of the children of late younger Richard whenever he sets his eyes on them.
Newsmen also gathered that late Mr. Akowa Richard wanted to sell his own part of the land to open a Barbing Saloon for his son, Chika, Innocent before he heard that it has been sold by his senior brother.
Also as at the time of filing this report, men of the Nigerian Police were already on ground for proper investigations. Meanwhile, the body of Pa. Akowa Richard has been deposited in the Mortuary.
