· Six others dead as gunmen ravage Amechi
From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Enugu East Senatorial District, Oyibo Chukwu has been assassinated.
Chukwu’s convoy was attacked at Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu South local government of the state Wednesday night as he was returning from a campaign trip at Agbani area with some of his supporters.
He was said to have been attacked by gunmen who opened fire on the branded Sienna car he was in with five of his supporters. They were said to have raided the car with bullets to the extent it caught fire.
Confirming the death of Senatorial candidate and a renowned lawyer, the Governorship candidate of the party, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga said the car conveying Chukwu and his supporters was set ablaze after they were killed.
He said, “It is true that our senatorial candidate for Enugu East senatorial district for Saturday’s election has been killed. They shot him and five others and set them ablaze.”
“Our party members are being targeted for assassination by political parties that felt threatened by the rise of the Labour Party in the state and are afraid they may lose Saturday’s election.”
Also Wednesday night in the same Amechi, near the popular Eke Otu market, one of the drivers of the campaign organization of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Enugu North/South constituency, Hon Offor Chukwuegbo, was reportedly burnt to death when yet to be identified persons attacked and set ablaze the campaign vehicle (mini bus) he was driving.
A reliable source from the campaign team said the driver went out with the bus after they had returned from campaigns when the incident happened.
Meanwhile, in a tribute to Oyibo Chukwu by the chairman Political Committee, Nkanu Native Association (NNA), Hon. Fraben Agwu, extolled him, saying that he fought gallantly .
He said, “The best Senator Enugu East Senatorial Zone never had has taken a heroic bow on 22/2/23 while fighting gallantry in the war front for the emancipation of his Nkanu people and the Odenigbos in the struggle to establish the eternal truth that “all men are born equal.””
“No amount of spilling of the blood of the Odenigbos on their ancestral land shall stop the Odenigbos from enthronment of political justice in Nkanuland.We refuse to be cowed or intimidated. His murder has only re-echoed my admonition that life is a warfare.”
