Gunmen behead APC chieftain, wife, son in Rivers

The bloodbath in Omuku, headquarter of Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State took a new twist at the weekend as gunmen beheaded a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, identified as Franklin Obi, even as two members of his family were also killed. Those killed alongside the politician were his 18-year-old son, Bestman, and the wife during the attack that started at about 9pm. Our reporter gathered that the masked gunmen attacked the Obi residence along Ratachi Street, Omoku where they beheaded the politician and fled. Some of the assailants were seen by indigenes of the community before they carried out the attack.

The 16-year-old daughter of the deceased, Victoria, said she watched as the hoodlums cut off her father’s head and took it away. The weeping daughter revealed they hid in the room, and watched silently how the gunmen cut off her father’s head. According to Victoria, “Last night, I was inside when I heard my mum crying. We heard the sound of a gunshot and hid somewhere in the room. I opened the curtain of my room and saw the men cutting off my father’s head. “They (gunmen) then came to our room and ordered me and my brother to come out and as we were coming, my brother was moving slowly and they shot him. They then left with my father’s head.”

However, Police commissioner Musa Kimo, who visited the residence of the deceased, expressed sadness that some of the people of the area, who had earlier sighted some of the masked gunmen, did not put a call across to the police. Kimo said he was at the home of the deceased on a condolence visit and to restrategise on how to improve security within the area. He, therefore, called on the people of Ogba/Ndoni/ Egbe Local Government Area to always inform the police when they notice any suspicious movement within their environment. “I am here in Omoku this time on a sad note. It is sad in the sense that we are all bereaved.

The governor, I and other security officers were in Omoku two weeks ago in search of peace. Unfortunately, violence has continued to pervade, dovetailing into kidnappings and murders. “Last night, precisely 2100 hours, one Mr. Franklin Obi, APC Chairman, Ward 4, Omoku, the wife and son were gruesomely murdered in their house. This is bad, this is a sin and totally not acceptable. “I am here to commiserate with the deceased family and also to restrategise and put pungent security measures in place to forestall future occurrence,” the commissioner stated.

He, however, said investigation into the killings in Omoku, including Saturday’s murder of Obi, the wife and son, were ongoing, adding that the police would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those behind the dastardly act were arrested and brought to book. Also, the Oba of Ogbaland, Chukumela Nnam Obi II, during a visit on him in his palace by the state CP, expressed sadness over the killing in Omoku and expressed conviction that the killings would end one day soon. “Those who don’t want us to have peace will never know peace. We have done a peace march. With churches everywhere, it is shocking that we still have such killing in ONE LGA. An educated man cannot take pleasure in killing his fellow human beings no matter the level of disagreement,” he said.