The late Chief Minikwu Chukwu

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Oro-Akwor community in Mgboshimili in the Mile 4 axis of Obio-Akpor local government area,  a suburb of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State, capital, was thrown into pandemonium due to the assassination of a titled chief,  Chief Minikwu Chukwu during a community meeting on Saturday morning.

It was learnt the deceased was summoned to a ‘family meeting’ in his family compound through a phone call from a yet to be identified person, but on getting there, he was shot by some gunmen suspected to be hired assassins before the meeting could start.

An eyewitness said another relation of the Chief Chukwu and another person were also shot in the melee that following the killing of the titled chief.  According to the eyewitness, two of them are in critical condition in the hospital they were taken for treatment.

Youths in the community reportedly went on a rampage,  burning houses, a situation that forced many residents to flee the area after the incident.

Business and social lives of the community have been grounded to a halt in the community as at the time of writing this story.

Anti-riot Policemen from the Rivers State Police command have been drafted to the community to maintain peace. Residents fleeing the community were being compelled to raise their hands as they pass the security checkpoints.

Meanwhile,  Amadi Geoffrey the Community Development Committee, CDC claimed that the death of the late Chief was linked to a dispute over the ownership of a controversial land popularly called ‘Mechanic’.

Properties on the controversial land were also burnt in the mayhem that followed the killing.

The late Chukwu left behind five children- two boys and three girls.

The assassination of the titled chief has again raised concern over the proliferation of small arms and senseless killings in various communities in Rivers state.

To mop up illegal arms, the Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike introduced Amnesty programme in the state to pardon those in possession of illegal arms but voluntarily surrender them to the government.

Ends