- The victim, Lawrence Chinyere Oshanugor, still nursing injuries from the attack
The Edo State Police Command has vowed to track down those behind the series of attacks on the family of the state’s Boxing Head Coach, Mr. Lucky Chinyere Oshanugor, whose younger brother, Lawrence, narrowly escaped death from assailants on Friday, May 17, 2024.
According to the Command Spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area where the incident occurred has confirmed it and was putting finishing touches to his report. To this end, Nwabuzor said on behalf of the command that detectives would soon swoop on the attackers, whose motive remains unknown.
He regretted that instead of showing love to the family of Oshanugor, whose team brought honours to Edo State in the 2023 National Youth Games in Asaba, some elements have chosen to physically assault them for unknown reasons.
He said the State Commissioner of Police had given marching orders to operatives of the Special Anti-Crime Squad to go after the attackers where ever they may be.
The attackers were said to have trailed the coach’s brother to the front of his Irowa Street residence in Benin-City, the Edo State capital, late Friday on his way from an outing. Some sources said the attackers had come in a commercial bus with the Delta State official blue and white colours.
In January, the coach’s family residence was similarly attacked in Benin-City by yet unidentified persons.
Oshanugor had been out of Nigeria since October 2023 when he led his team to the Golden Gloves tourney in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As at the time of filing this report, it was not certain if he had returned to Nigeria.
Immediately they attacked Lawrence, who tried to escape by jumping a fence, the suspects sped off, according to reports, and it was not possible to get the plate number as it was already dark.
A source claimed that the assailants were no fewer than five in number. Some of his neighboours who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants had some dangerous weapons and seemed to have trailed Lawrence without his knowledge.
“He was lucky the assailants did not meet him inside his house,” a neighbour stated. “It would have been difficult to escape.”
The graduate of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital, for security reasons, though his relatives updated with his photo.
The attack on Lawrence is said to be the third in a series on the coach’s family. His wife, Mrs. Success Oshanugor, had on October 31, 2023, been physically assaulted and left with injuries by unidentified persons who stormed their residence.
It was also gathered that in January this year, their Benin-City residence was again besieged by some hoodlums suspected to be angry youths, who were reportedly searching for the coach for some unknown reasons, unaware that he had not returned from his trip to Canada.
According to sources, the attacks may be motivated by envy after his team’s outstanding success at the 2023 National Youths Games in Asaba, which had made Lucky more popular in the Edo State and beyond. The Asaba event took place before the team traveled to Canada for the Golden Gloves tournament in October.
