Finger IPOB/ESN Over Death of LP, PDP Candidates, Others ; Tasks Residents On Peace
By John Ugo, Awka
Tempers have continued to rise amid fears and concerns across the 17 local government areas of Enugu State following the sudden and gruesome murder and burning of the corpses of the Enugu East senatorial candidate of Labour Party (LP) Mr. Oyibo Chukwu and five other on Wednesday night.
This as the Enugu State Police command has commenced discreet investgations over the tragic deaths of the popular LP Senatorial candidate and five of his key supporters who were set ablaze after they were killed by unknown gunmen.
The command said it was also carrying out full investgations into the gruesome murder of the Peoples Democratic Party and attempt on the life of that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), all in the state.
Indications have shown that the scheduled Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections might be violent given the sudden death of the six LP members just about three days to the proposed elections.
Also, It is feared that voters apathy might trail Saturday’s exercise following the tensed atmosphered caused by the assassination of the Labour Party chieftains.
The Labour Party candidate for Enugu East senatorial district in Saturday’s election and five of his supporters were shot dead Wednesday evening at Amechi, Awkunanaw Local Government Area of Enugu state while they were on their way back from a political rally.
The identities of the five others who were shot and burnt in late Chukwu”s car are yet to be made public by the relevant authority.
With the sad event, the Coal City has been returned back to the worse and bloody political days when thuggery and assassination were the order of the day.
The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the state, Chijioke Edeoga, who confirmed the sad development to newsmen, said his party members are long being targeted for assassination by political parties which felt threatened by the rise of the Labour Party in the state.
Recall that activities of unknown Gunmen in parts of Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia states have posed serious worry to both residents and others.
The situation has taken toll on communities and businesses in Anambra and Imo states where several lives and billions of naira worth of properties have been wasted.
Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant arm, Eastern Security Network (ESN) have consistently imposed weekly Monday Sit-At-Home order which effect has crippled socio-econpmic and social lifestyle of people and residents in the five Southeast states of Nigeria.
An estimated over 2, 500 victims including security personnel and more than 500 houses and other valuables have been destroyed by hoodlums under the guise of unknown gunmen across the region.
The rampaging gunmen have vowed to ensure that the planned Saturday’s election did not hold in the region following their agitation for the Republic of Biafra and release of their leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who has been in detention in the facility of the Department of State Security (DSS).
Recall also that the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, who is one of the popular and forefront candidates for the general election, hails from the South+east.
The Enugu State chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Barr. Casmir Agbo when contacted on the incident said he would not comment on the incident at the moment until tomorrow.
He disclosed that the leadership of the party was in a crucial meeting to discuss the sudden and tragic incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe in a statement on Thursday said the force remain committed to a secured and peaceful general elections, while tasking citizens not to succumb to cowardly antics of assailants.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the intensification of the discreet investigations and manhunt of the subversive criminal elements, suspected to be IPOB/ESN renegades, who in the night hours of 22/02/2023 at different locations, ambushed and simultaneously attacked and murdered People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) members, and also attempted to attack the convoy of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate.
The Commissioner stated this after visiting the scenes of the incidents the same night at Topland by Ebony Paint Road and Eke-Otu both in Amechi-Awkunanaw, Enugu.
The Commissioner, who strongly condemned the barbaric acts, had commiserated with the Parties and family members of the deceased, vowing to ensure that the perpetrators are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He reaffirmed the undiluted commitment of the Police and other Security agencies to emplace adequate security for a peaceful and credible elections in the State even as he urged the citizens not to succumb to the cowardly antics of the hoodlums, which is aimed at creating fear and to disrupt the electoral process.
“Meanwhile, preliminary investigations into the incidents showed that the armed hoodlums, operating in a tricycle, attacked a PDP campaign Mini Bus at Topland by Ebony Paint Road, Amechi-Awkunanaw Enugu and used petrol bomb to set it ablaze, burning to death its driver, simply identified as one KC Great (male).”
He disclosed that,”In a similar fashion, another set of the same armed assailants, operating in a Hilux vehicle, attacked and set ablaze the campaign vehicle of the Labour Party, at Eke-Otu Amechi-Awkunanaw Enugu, burning to death the Party’s Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District, Barr. Oyibo Chukwu (male) and his Personal Assistant (male) with him in the vehicle.”
However, the miscreants were repelled by Security Operatives while attempting to also attack the convoy of the Governorship Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at Eke, Agbani, Nkanu West LGA.
The command said that normalcy has generally been restored in the mentioned locations, while further development will be communicated.
