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| Late Obi |
Two weeks to the March 19 legislative rerun in Rivers State, masked gunmen at 9 pm on Saturday, beheaded a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Franklin Obi, and killed his wife and 18-year-old son, Bestman.
The gunmen took away the head of Franklin. After shooting him dead, they severed his head and disappeared.
The killings took place at Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government, hometown of the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Felix Obuah.
In Omoku last month, 25 persons were killed, with many of them beheaded.
Until his murder at his home on Rutachi Street in Omoku, Obi was the APC’s chairman of Ward 4, the same ward with Obuah.
Police Commissioner Musa Kimo, yesterday, visited the deceased’s family. Kimo described the incident as sad, while the stateAPC, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, condemned the barbaric act.
It was learnt some persons in the neighbourhood saw the masked gunmen before the murder, but failed to report to the police or raise the alarm.
A 16-year-old daughter of the deceased, Victory, who was in a room with his elder brother, Bestman, saw her dad beheaded through an opening.
Victory said after killing his parents, the gunmen came into the room and ordered them to leave the room. But she said the killers, annoyed by Bestman’s sluggishness, shot him dead at close range.
APC said: “The killing of our Franklin Obi on Saturday night was shocking, to say the least. It goes to support what we know that the PDP members have been responsible for all the killings in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government.
“Make your deductions: the late Franklin Obi was the APC’s Ward 4 chairman. He managed and moderated the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni APC’s meeting last Thursday in Omoku and by Saturday he was killed and beheaded, with the wife and son also killed.”
The police chief regretted that some people saw the masked gunmen, but failed to report to the police.
He urged the people to always inform the police, whenever they notice any suspicious movement.
Kimo said: “I am here in Omoku this time on a sad note. It is sad in the sense that we are bereaved. The governor (Nyesom Wike), some security officers and I were in Omoku two weeks ago in search of peace. Unfortunately, violence has continued to pervade, dovetailing into kidnappings and murders.
“On Saturday night, precisely 2100 hours, Mr. Franklin Obi, APC chairman, Ward 4, Omoku, the wife and son were murdered in their house. This is bad. This is a sin and unacceptable.
“I am here to commiserate with the family and to re-strategise and put measures in place to forestall future recurrence.”
The police commissioner said the police would ensure that those behind the dastardly act were arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.
Kimo said investigations were on into killings in Omoku, including the murder of Franklin Obi, his wife and son.
The police chief also visited the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II, at Omoku.
The first class monarch, who was sad at the shocking killings in Omoku and other parts of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, declared that the killers who did not want him and his people to have peace, would never know peace.
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