Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Umuchoke Ward in Okwe in the Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo State, Christian Ihim, has been shot dead.Five other members of the party were reportedly kidnapped by the gunmen.
Daily Trust gathered that on Wednesday that the attackers shot repeatedly all through Tuesday night, making the villagers to abandon their homes.Apart from killing and kidnapping the APC chieftains, the gunmen also invaded Okwelle community in Onuimo Local Government Area of the state and kidnapped a female member of the APC identified as Onyinyechi Egenti.
The late chairman was said to be a former aide of the immediate past national Organising Secretary of APC, Emma Ibediro.“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,” a source said.Recall that gunmen had on December 15 killed the Labour Party candidate for the Onuimo LGA state House of Assembly election, Christopher Elehu after razing his country home in Okwe community.Also, gunmen have kidnapped two community leaders in Ogbaku in the Mbaitoli LGA of the state, putting the community in confusion.
The victims were identified as Fidelis Nwaebele and Kelechi Iherizie.In another development, gunmen also killed a female police officer.It was gathered that the gunmen had attacked a checkpoint along Aba-Owerri, where she, along with her colleagues, engaged the assailants in a gun duel.The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, promised to investigate and call back, but had not done so as at the time of filing this report.
