By Godwin Akomah, Umuahia
Two persons have tragically died in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, following a heated argument over unpaid salaries of staff of the Abia State Water and Sewerage Corporation (Water Board).
The gruelling incident happened on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Ukaonu Street by NEPA in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State when an argument ensued between the deceased, identified as Uche Onyekaba popularly Known as POKA and another man over the lingering salary crisis affecting workers of the agency.
According to abntv, the argument soon escalated to deployment of object with Uche allegedly hitting the other man with a stone, which left the victim dead.
Multiple witnesses said the tragic incident triggered mob action as enraged crowd descended on Uche and lynched him to death before security operatives arrived.
The Daily Crucible gathered that Uche, a staff member of the Abia Water Board, hailed from Ozuitem in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State and he was among over 20 staff members whose salaries were suspended by the Abia State Ministry of Power and Public Utilities on the watch of Governor Alex Otti – led Labour Party (LP) controlled Abia Government.
According to abntv, sources said that the late Uche who had reportedly lost two of his children to curable health issues due to inability to access best medical care for them because of the unpaid salaries since 2024.
The spokesperson of Abia State Police Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the incident to reporters, saying the command operatives, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area, moved to the scene and recovered the remains of the two.
“It happened at Ukaonu Street by NEPA in Aba South Local Government, Abia State. Officers of the Command, led by the DPO, recovered two dead bodies. Investigation revealed that the two individuals were quarrelling, which led to the death of one, and an angry mob killed the other,” she told the abntv.
She added that the corpses had been evacuated to a morgue while investigation had also begun.
