A senior lawyer in Enugu State, Eli Ugwu, has been shot dead in Kogi State shortly after delivering ransom to kidnappers who abducted his cousin.
The tragic incident has thrown the people of Nsukka, where he hails from, into deep mourning.
It was initially reported that the lawyer was killed by kidnappers after paying the ransom, but a contrary report suggests that he was accidentally shot dead by police officers as he was exiting the bush with his freed cousin.
A lawyer, who did not want his name in print, said, “he had already successfully delivered the ransom and was coming out with the victim, when policemen shot them. Eli was shot dead instantly but his cousin, the kidnap victim, is responding to treatment.”
The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear, as the Kogi State Police Command was yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Ugwu was a respected member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Nsukka branch.
