It was a black weekend in Rivers State as two leaders of the two main political parties were murdered by unidentified gunmen in Alakahia and Rumuekini Communities both in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
One of the victims, Mr. Nwozuruaka Anele, a ward Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Alakahia Community was shot and killed in front of his family at his residence, last Saturday.
On the same day, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rumuekini Community, identified as Anebo Amadi, was killed in similar circumstance.
The Tide gathered that the gunmen allegedly ambushed the APC leader at his family house and shot him dead .
Wife of the deceased PDP chieftain, Mrs. Orlumati Nwozuruaka, said the assailants were many and that her husband was killed despite several pleas by her children, adding that she was forced to lie down facing the floor to avoid identification, before he was assassinated at about 2:00am.
The deceased widow said, “We were sleeping when we heard noise at our main door. I woke up. I did not know that my husband had also noticed it and woke up and ran to the bathroom.
“Immediately, his killers, who were many, forced their way in and asked my husband for his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card and he told them that it was inside the car outside. He requested that they follow him to the car, but they declined.
“They dragged him to the parlour, my children and I were pleading. My little daughter said, ‘brother, please leave my daddy alone, but they shot him dead. All I could hear from my husband is, mummy, I am gone,” she narrated tearfully.
Elder brother of the slain PDP chieftain, Jeffrey Omejuriowhor-Amadi, said his brother was killed because of his position on justice and fairness, and called on government and security agencies to fish out those who killed his younger brother.
“He doesn’t like being in a place where things are going wrong, he must speak out. He is not a cultist. He is not a rapist and he is not an armed robber. That is what surprised everybody when we heard of his death.
“The Police also came here and they saw his corpse and they also saw the scene of the incident. I am calling on the Nigerian Police and all the security agencies to see what they can do to stop these rapid killing of youths in Rivers State,” Omejuriowhor-Amadi stated.
When contacted, spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the two incidents but said the reason for the killings could not be immediately determined. He, however, investigations have begun.

Dennis Naku