Gunmen Kill Man, Kidnap Bride On Wedding Eve In Abia

Tragedy struck in Osisioma, near Aba, on Friday night when a 27-year-old man was shot dead and his sister, identified as Uzoamaka Joseph Aliu, was abducted by gunmen just hours before her scheduled wedding.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter insurgency reporter, the incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. on June 20, while the victim, Chibueze Franklin Joseph, who had travelled from Owerri to attend the ceremony, was accompanying his sister to the church.

Eyewitnesses said the vehicle conveying the siblings was intercepted by armed men, who shot Chibueze on the left side of the neck and pushed him out of the car before fleeing with the bride in a black Toyota Sequoia SUV, whose registration number could not be immediately ascertained.

Chibueze was later found in a pool of blood and pronounced dead after efforts to save him failed. His body has been deposited at Alanwendu Mortuary in Osisioma for preservation and autopsy.

Sources close to the family said the late Chibueze had been excited about his sister’s wedding, which was scheduled for the next day, and had taken it upon himself to help with logistics and preparations.

In the wake of the incident, a massive search effort involving police, local security volunteers and community members has been launched to locate Uzoamaka and ensure her safe return.