Masked gunmen
Gunmen suspected to be members of oil bunkering clan on Sunday night ambushed and killed the Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman of Igbomotoru 1 Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa.
According to community sources, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Yenagoa on Monday, the CDC chairman, Mr Goodnews Manash, was ambushed behind the community’s school compound at about 10:30pm on Sunday, while visiting his brother.
Igbomotoru, rich in crude oil deposit and famous for ruthless militants and crude oil thieves, has had series of intra-communal clashes, which had forced many indigenes into exile.
A community leader, who pleaded anonymity, said that the assailants gained access into the town through a forest at the back of the community.
“This is because we have military check-points on our waterway, which made it impossible for them to come in speedboats.
“There was no hint that the gunmen involved in illegal activities unchallenged, especially crude oil bunkering, would strike.
“They had been driven out of the community by the Nigerian army.
“And angered by that, they plotted and killed the CDC chairman, who was working hard to restore peace in our community,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Paramount Ruler of the community, King Ayibaikie Ofongo, said “between midnight and 2am on Sunday, somebody from the community called to inform me that gunmen have abducted the CDC chairman.
“It was not until daybreak that I got concrete information that he was actually assassinated.
“I can confirm that he is dead, but we intend to have a meeting at the community level before we issue an official statement to the public,” he said.
Also, the Press Secretary to the Chairman, Southern Ijaw LGA, Mr Ayibaetare Easterday, said that he got wind of the incident on Sunday.
Easterday condemned the gruesome attack, saying that “such an incident has put the community and LGA in bad light before the international community”.
He said: “The story is true but he was not killed in his house.
“He was killed close to another person’s compound, where he was going to visit.
“It is an unfortunate incident and we pray that this kind of thing does not happen again in our community.
“We are all brothers and sisters, so if we offend one another in the community, we should exercise tolerance and make peace.
“The incident is not befitting of who we are and it is condemnable,” Easterday said.
Several attempts made to get the reaction of the state Police Command to the dastardly act, including phone calls to the command’s Spokesman, Musa Mohammed, were unsuccessful. (NAN)
