Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Mr Emmanuel Ikechukwu, the acting president of Choba Youth Association, in Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers was killed by some yet to be identified gunmen at about 11 pm on Wednesday in the presence of his family members.
Residents of the community who are yet to recover from the murder of their of Chairman of the Choba Community Development Committee, CDC, Sir Lawrence Igwe barely a month ago were seen clustered in groups weeping and consoling members of family of the 43 year-old- youth leader on Thursday morning.
In his reaction, the paramount ruler of the Choba community, Eze Raymond Okocha, said it is disheartening people are sneaking into the community to kill despite the ongoing peace process in the area.
Okocha, however, appealed to every aggrieved member of the community to shield their swords and embrace peace.
“Despite the peace process going on in this community, the fact that somebody can still penetrate the community to kill is very disheartening. I condemned the act.
“Those boys don’t want peace to reign in Choba because they reap from the insecurity. There are gang ups in community. I condemn it in its entirety. And anybody who has hands in the killings should stop it for peace to reign,” Eze Okocha said.
Choba is the host to the University of Port-Harcourt and companies like Dufil (makers of the popular Indomine noodles), Wilbros, an oil and gas Services company among others.
While confirming the incident, the spokesman of Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said: In the early hours of today, August 15 Unknown gunmen precisely at about 3 am attacked and killed’ one Emmanuel Ikechukwu,a 43 years old in Rumukachara in Choba,who was later identified as a member of a local vigilante.
“An investigation has commenced. Let us allowed investigation to so that we know if there is a correlation to previous killings”.
It would be recalled that Governor Nyesom Wike visited Choba on Friday July 19 and declared that the State Security Council has been primed to address the security challenges facing the community.
The Governor had also revealed that security agencies have arrested some persons linked to the security upheavals in the community as part of efforts to check increasing criminality and killings in the area.
The Governor who spoke during a Security townhall meeting with Choba chiefs, leaders and youth groups said: “I won’t come here again. You have to listen to the voice of reason at this time. Enough is enough. We shall no longer tolerate any form of violence in Choba.
He regretted that the people of Choba community have allowed the name of the community to be soiled by persons promoting insecurity.
Ends