The grief of losing a child is one no parent ever wishes to endure. For Onyekwere Kaburu, that sorrow was doubled when gunmen killed his 34-year-old son, Obinna and his pregnant daughter-in-law, Ifeyinwa on the same day in Abia State.
Speaking to Punch Newspapers, the heartbroken father narrated how his son had faced persistent threats from armed gangs who targeted his business. He recalled a previous incident when gunmen stormed Obinna’s shop.
“He was not in the shop; the gunmen attacked the wife and collected people’s phones, reached under the table, dragged out a carton, and collected all the money they were using for the PoS,” he said.
Shaken by the incident, Kaburu said he had advised his son to relocate. “Following this development, I called him and advised him that he should relocate to another area for his business. He left Nkwo Umualum community and went to a place called Akunwata, opposite his house, and built another shop there before relocating his wife to the new place,” he added.
Despite the move, tragedy struck again when armed men attacked Obinna and his wife, killing them instantly. Ifeyinwa who was said to be pregnant, died on the spot, compounding the family’s anguish.
Onyekwere described the loss as unbearable. “Losing my son was already painful, but losing his pregnant wife the same day is depressing. I can’t explain the emptiness this has left in me,” he lamented.
Residents of the community have continued to mourn the couple, describing Obinna as a hardworking young man with a promising future. Many have urged security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend the killers and curb the rising spate of violent attacks in the state.
