By IT should have been the beginning of a glorious chapter.
Tony Agbakoba had just completed his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Delta State, where he worked at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Asaba. Known for his energy and cheer, he had quickly earned a reputation as a lively and industrious cameraman, eager to learn under the guidance of senior colleagues.
For many young graduates in Nigeria, life after NYSC is a waiting game. Years can pass before a job offer arrives—sometimes four, sometimes ten. But Tony’s case was different. Fortune smiled quickly. Barely three weeks after passing out, he secured employment with First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
He shared the news with joy, eager to begin the next stage of life. His parents, proud of their investment in his education, could finally dream of stability.
Tony Agbakoba
But those dreams died almost as soon as they began.
On a quiet day in his family home in Onitsha, Anambra State, Tony was washing his clothes, preparing for his first day at work. Then came the call from friends: they wanted to meet up. Trusting and unsuspecting, he left his chores and stepped out.
He never returned.
The shocking news soon filtered back: Tony had been killed. Allegedly not by strangers, but by the same friends who had invited him out.
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According to police accounts, Tony was strangled, a victim of envy. His friends, still jobless years after their own graduation, reportedly could not stomach his sudden good fortune. To cover their tracks, they rushed his lifeless body to a hospital, claiming he had been in an accident.
But the doctor on duty was no fool. There were no bruises, no scratches, nothing to suggest an accident. Only a tongue forced out in death. Suspicious, he quietly alerted the police. Officers arrived quickly, arresting one of the alleged killers inside the hospital. Two others, waiting outside, fled the scene and are still at large.
And just like that, a promising life was extinguished.
According to Victor Ochei, a journalist and former Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council, Tony never resumed his banking job. He never repaid the sacrifices of his parents. He never lived to see his future unfold.
“Tony was lively, hardworking, always eager to learn,” recalled a colleague at NTA Asaba. “We never thought this was how his story would end.”
The tragedy has sparked outrage, not just for the cruelty of the act, but for what it represents—a society where envy can destroy youthful promise in an instant.
As the investigation continues and justice is sought, family, friends and former colleagues are left with only memories. Memories of a young man who had done everything right, only to be undone by those closest to him.
Tony’s story is not just a personal tragedy. It is a stark reminder of the wickedness that envy can breed.
May his soul rest in peace.
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