Gunmen suspected to be cultists have killed a man identified as Chigozie Oluwu and abducted the President of the Omoku Youth Federation, Ifeanyi Azuazu, in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The incident reportedly happened around 6:00pm on Thursday at a popular bar located along Ogolo Street, off Palace Road, in Omoku.
Sources said about seven armed men arrived in two vehicles and immediately confronted Azuazu. They allegedly pointed guns at him and ordered him into one of the vehicles.
During the confrontation, Oluwu, who was said to be Azuazu’s personal aide, reportedly tried to intervene but was shot dead on the spot. The attackers then forced the youth leader into their vehicle and drove away to an unknown location.
The shooting caused panic in the area as residents and passersby ran for safety, while business owners quickly shut down their shops.
However, the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Security and Planning Advisory Committee (OSPAC) later recovered the beheaded body of Azuazu in a forest in Elieta community on Friday afternoon.
Confirming the development in a telephone interview, OSPAC spokesperson Godnews Nkem said Oluwu was killed during the attack, while Azuazu’s corpse was discovered hours after his abduction.
Nkem urged residents of Omoku to remain calm and allow security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services, to carry out investigations aimed at apprehending those responsible.
As of the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident.
