By Deborah Nnamdi
Tragedy struck Oghior Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday as a young man, identified as Saturday Okutu, allegedly set his aged father, Pa Chicago Okutu, ablaze, leading to his death.
Eyewitnesses said the incident followed a violent confrontation between the suspect and his father. A community source disclosed that the young man had allegedly taken hard drugs, popularly known as “Colorado,” before the incident occurred.
According to the source, the situation escalated into a physical attack, after which the suspect reportedly set the house on fire, resulting in the untimely death of the elderly man.
The incident has thrown the community into mourning and heightened concerns over the growing abuse of hard drugs among youths in local communities.
Reacting to the development, the immediate past President General of Oghior Community, Moses Uchere Esq., condemned the act and called for urgent action against drug abuse, stressing the need for increased awareness to prevent further loss of lives.
Meanwhile, community authorities are said to be preparing to investigate the matter as more details continue to emerge. Efforts to get official confirmation from the Delta State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, who had indicated he would respond, was yet to do so as of press time.
