What would have been mere enforcement of wearing of face mask in Anambra State on Monday turned into a tragedy as 22-year-old Cletus Chisom was stabbed to death by Mr. Ibuchi Nwoju, a security man.
According to a witness, the security guard was monitoring the use of face mask at the Coca Cola Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, when the ugly incident occurred.
An eye witness, Chika Obiora, said the sister of the deceased was at the market with her mother to purchase some items when the security man stopped them from entering the market for failure to put on face mask.
According to the witness, the mother later bought a face mask for her daughter after the security man insisted she would only be allowed into the market with a face mask.
According to him, trouble started after the girl reportedly rushed home and returned with her elder brother, who confronted the security man for daring to stop his mother from going into the market.
The witness said it was during their argument that the security man drew out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the chest, and he was rushed to hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Also, another eye witness, Mrs. Nkechi Udeozo, said the incident was like a dream as everybody was asking the security man to allow the woman to go inside the market and make her purchases.
“In fact, we were all watching the argument, hoping that naturally the security man will allow the woman to go or the woman would just buy one of the local face masks and wear before she goes inside. Suddenly, the young lady with the woman rushed home and came back with her elder brother who tried to force the security man to allow the woman in,” she said.
According to her, what would have been a simple thing was taken too seriously and it claimed a life.
She said that if the girl had not gone to bring her brother, maybe the security man would have later allowed the woman or she would have just bought a N100 face mask and moved inside the market.
Confirming the incident, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Mohammed, said at about 8:45 am on Monday, the police operatives from Okpoko Division in Onitsha arrested a private security guard attached to Coca-Cola Market Onitsha, one Ibuchi Nwoju, aged 26 years for murder of Mr Cletus Chisom.
According to him, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr John Abang, has ordered for the immediate transfer of the case to the State CID Awka for investigation.