A Lagos-based automobile dealer and Chief Executive Officer of Igwemac Autos Ltd, Chief Igwe Amechi Justus, is currently battling for recovery after surviving a brutal armed robbery attack that left him critically injured and dispossessed of valuables worth millions of naira.
The incident, which occurred some days after the New Year, reportedly took place around 5:30 p.m. at Onuzo-Nwezza Junction, near the border between Ebonyi and Enugu States, as the businessman was returning to his base.
According to eyewitness accounts, Chief Justus was ambushed by a four-man gang operating in two vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz, which allegedly double-crossed his 2015 Toyota RAV4, forcing him to a halt.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants ordered the victim out of his vehicle before launching a sustained and coordinated attack on him.
“Immediately he stepped out, two of them, armed with pistols, started beating him mercilessly, while the other two joined with strange metallic weapons that looked like batons,” the eyewitness said.
The attack, witnesses noted, was so vicious that passers-by and traders in the area watched helplessly from a distance, fearing for their own safety.
Another source described the scene as deeply horrifying, stating that the victim was stripped naked, beaten into a pool of blood, and left struggling for survival.
“From the way they operated, one could easily think they were more than ordinary robbers,” the source added, hinting at the possibility of a targeted operation.
After inflicting severe injuries particularly to his eyes and other vital parts of his body; the attackers reportedly robbed Chief Justus of several high-value items, including a Samsung Fold 6 mobile phone valued at about ₦1.6 million, $2,400, over ₦400,000 in cash, an expensive wristwatch, and other personal belongings yet to be fully accounted for.
The assailants were said to have fled the scene after noticing that bystanders were making phone calls, possibly to alert security agencies.
Following their departure, sympathisers rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, which allegedly declined to admit him due to the extent of blood loss and severity of his injuries.
He was later transferred to an undisclosed hospital in Lagos, where he is currently receiving treatment under intensive medical supervision, with doctors closely monitoring his condition to prevent further complications.
As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been released by security agencies regarding arrests or ongoing investigations, while concerns continue to mount over the increasing spate of violent highway attacks on major roads across the region.
