Gunmen on Tuesday night killed the Ward Chairman of APC in Umuchoke Ward in Okwe in the Onuimo Local Government of Imo State.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Coming closely on the heels of the beheading of the Sole Administrator of Ideato North Local Government Area Christopher Ohizu, gunmen on Tuesday night killed the Ward Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Umuchoke ward in Okwe in the Onuimo Local Government of Imo State, Christian Ihim.
The video of Ohizu’s murder was posted to the social media by his killers on Sunday, January 22, two days after he was attacked in his country home and his house razed.
The gunmen after killing Ihim, who is popularly known as Zako, kidnapped five other chieftains of the ruling party in the community.
According to The PUNCH the attackers shot repeatedly through the night making the villagers flee.
Apart from killing and kidnapping the APC chieftains, the gunmen also invaded a neighbouring community called Okwelle and also kidnapped a female member of the APC identified as Onyinyechi Egenti.
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The slain chairman is said to be a former aide of the immediate past national Organising secretary of APC, Emma Ibediro.
One of the sources told The PUNCH that the community has been deserted. Quoting an unnamed source, the newspaper stated, “The ward chairman of APC in Umuchoke Okwe in Onuimo Local Government Area has been killed. Apart from killing him they also kidnapped five APC members in the community. They also went to the Okwelle community and kidnapped an APC female member known as Onyinyechi Egenti. Our community is on the run now. They shot like it was a war period.”
It would be recalled that gunmen had on December 15 killed the Labour Party candidate for the Onuimo LGA state House of Assembly election, Christopher Elehu, popularly known as Wasco, after they set ablaze his country home in Okwe community.
Also, gunmen have kidnapped two community leaders in Ogbaku in the Mbaitoli LGA of the state. The abduction of the two community leaders had put the community in a state of confusion. The victims were identified as Fidelis Nwaebele and Kelechi Iherizie.
A source in the community who craved anonymity said, “They came around 7 pm. They drove to Fidelis Nwaebele house, released several gunshots and caught him. They later proceeded to Kelechi Iherizie’s shop surrounded him and caught him too.”
The killing came a few days after the Sole Administrator of the Ideato North LGA, Chris Ohizu, was kidnapped and beheaded after his abductors collected N6 million ransom.