by ‘Jola Sotubo

An event meant to be commemorated joyfully turned tragic as unidentified gunmen interrupted birthday merriment and shot the celebrant, identified as Sunday Ozioko, 30, after raping his girlfriend.

The event occurred over the weekend in Nsukka, Enugu State when the couple, as part of birthday celebrations, took a trip in the young man’s new Toyota Camry.

According to reports, the gunmen, who rode in a motorcycle, blocked the vehicle along Orba Road at 6.30p.m., took over the car and sped off through Orba Market to Obollo-Afor.

They stopped at Alor-AnoCommunitySecondary School, raped the girl and shot her fiancé, who survived the attack, but was said to be in critical condition. When the two gunmen were through at 9:30p.m., they gave the victim N500, having been dropped off at Odolu in Kogi State.

Realizing that the girl could identify them later, the bandits allegedly made for the girl again, who was able to escape through a path that led her to a crusade ground, where Adonai Faith Assembly was having a vigil.

The obviously horrified girl was said to have narrated her ordeal to the congregation, who she told her fiancee was still lying in his pool of blood.

According to a source, the pastor of the church immediately swung into action, reached out to the police at Nsukka Urban, who quickly rushed him to Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka.

Efforts made to speak with the victim at his hospital private ward proved abortive as his relations barred press men from seeing him. Ozioko has, however, been transferred to UNTH, Enugu, for a surgical operation on his head.

Enugu State Police spokesman, Ebere Amarizu, said police were on top of the situation and vowed that everything would be done to track down the bandits.