IGBOZURUOKE MEDIA

By Ernest Chinwo

in Port Harcourt

Barely two weeks after the Rivers State Government and security agencies held a security summit in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba / Egbema / Ndoni Local Government Area  (ONELGA ) of the State, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen yesterday killed a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Omoku, Mr. Franklin Obi, his wife and his son, Bestman.

THISDAY gathered that the hoodlums, had at about 9p.m. last Saturday invaded the residence of the victims at Rutachi Street, Omoku, cut off the head of Obi, who was said to be the APC chairman of ONELGA Ward 4, before shooting and killing his wife and 18-year-old son, Bestman.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Musa Kimo, yesterday, visited the bereaved family over the incident.
Briefing the police commissioner, the teenage daughter of the deceased, Victory, who witnessed the incident, said she saw how the hoodlums cut off her father’s head and took it away.

Victory, who is about 16-year-old, said they decided to hide somewhere in the room from where they peeped through and saw how the gunmen were cutting off her father’s head and took it away.
Her words: “Last night (Saturday), 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 I 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.”
After the visit, the state Police Commissioner, Kimo, expressed sadness that some people of the area had earlier sighted some of the masked gunmen but did not call the police.

Kimo, who said he was at the home of the deceased on a condolence visit and to restrategize on how to improve security within the area, called on the people to always alert the police when they notice any suspicious move within their environment.
Kimo said: “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 acceptable.

“I am here to commiserate with the deceased families and also to restrategize and put pungent security measures in place in order to forestall future occurrence.”
He said investigation into the killings in Omoku, including Saturday’s murder of Obi, his wife and son, was ongoing, adding that the police were not relenting in ensuring that those behind the dastardly act were arrested and brought to book.
Also, the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Chukumela Nnam Obi II, who spoke when the state CP visited him in his palace, expressed sadness over the killings in Omoku and the entire ONELGA, saying the killings would one day cease.
The monarch said: “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 ONELGA. An educated man cannot take pleasure in killing his fellow man, no matter the disagreement.”
Meanwhile the state chapter of APC has condemned the killing and blamed the PDP for the incident.
The party said the late Obi had anchored an APC meeting of his ward last Thursday, only to be murdered on Saturday.
The APC state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Christian Finebone, said in a text message: “The killing of our Franklin Obi last night is shocking to say the least. It goes to support what we long know that the PDP has been responsible for all the killings in ONELGA.”
Also, thousands of residents of Rivers South East senatorial district, at the weekend, took to the streets of Bori in Khana Local Government Area on a peaceful procession to mourn relatives, friends and residents allegedly killed when the military stormed Bua-Yeghe community in search of former militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara, on February 22 and 23.

The protesters, who were led by chieftains of the PDP from the senatorial district, accused Senator Magnus Abe of instigating the military action in the area.
They also carried about 10 mock coffins with inscription ‘Abe is Dead’ written on them.
But in his reaction, Abe condemned the protest, stating that he has made the greatest sacrifice for the people of Ogoni, adding that it was shameful that PDP bigwigs in the area would carry coffins on their head purporting to bury him.
Addressing the youths during the procession, a two-time senator Senator Lee Maeba, while condemning the military action, accused the APC of dancing on the grave of the dead by plotting last Wednesday’s walk, supporting the killing of over 17 residents of Ogoni.
Maeba, while appealing to the federal government to withdraw the military men from the area, accused the APC of conspiracy to rig the forth-coming election in connivance with military.
“So, my appeal from this day is, all military personnel illegally operating in Ogoni land should go,” he said.
Also, speaking, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Kenneth Kobani, while advising the youths to be calm, wondered when the candidate of the APC has become the spokesman of the military, supporting the actions of the soldiers.
But Abe, who is APC candidate for the Rivers South East senatorial re run election, said he has made more sacrifices for the cause of Ogoni than many of those criticizing him.
Speaking at a grand reception organised for him by the people of Luubara community in Khana Local Government Area, Abe said he was a patriotic Ogoni son whose records speak for him.
He noted that when he was in the Senate, the Senate at that time had closed acceptance of demand for state creation and that he used his influence to make it possible for the Senate to receive the application for Bori State submitted by Chief Cyrus Nunien.
Abe further noted that when his bid for governorship of the state could not materialize because of the decision of the party, he did not make a personal demand rather represented the interest of Ogoni  by asking for things that could be done for Ogoni people.
He cited the case of the implementation of the UNEP report, where he made frantic efforts to convince the former President, Goodluck Jonathan, to implement the report without success.
Abe said when he understood his body language that he was not prepared to bulge and it was beginning to be obvious that President Buhari would win, he told his party that they should grant him the request to meet President Buhari on the matter before the election.
This, he said, the former governor of the state, Hon.Chibuike Amaechi, as the director general of Buhari campaign organisation granted.
Abe explained that he went to Sakpenwa with the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, King GNK Giniwa, President of KAGOTE, President of MOSOP as well as a cream of Ogoni leaders and handed over the request for the implementation of the UNEP report to President Buhari.
He stated that at that time, those who are in PDP now talking about UNEP report, were organizing attacks against the contingents of Ogoni people going that went for the  event.
“Many of our people were injured,” he said.
He also stated that his sacrifices were so many that he just could not recount them starting from when he was in the State House of Assembly, as a commissioner, SSG and senator.
He said this is the man today that the PDP cohorts were purportedly burying at Bori in their politics of mudslinging.
He said it was shameful and regrettable that the likes of Senator Olaka Nwogu, Senator Lee Maeba, Kenneth Kobani, Dum Deekor and others could throw friendship away to carry on their heads and said they were burying Abe.
The former SSG stated that he was not demoralized as an Ogoni man is one of the most enlightened person in Rivers state and he had been asking questions, that how come the man who had made many sacrifices for his people could be the one killing his people and being buried.

Courtesy: Thisday newspaper