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The Enugu State Police Command has confirmed the death of two All Progressives Congress (APC) members during an attack on the party’s office in Enugu by suspected gunmen.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, who gave the confirmation Wednesday in Enugu, said that the suspects also abducted one person while several other party faithful got bullet wound injures.
Ndukwe said that the yet-to-be identified armed hoodlums attacked the party’s Obeagu Ward 3 secretariat in Obeagu-Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area on Jan. 18 at about 7 p.m.
He said that the party faithful were having a meeting before the gunmen opened fire on them.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Lawal Abubakar, has ordered the immediate launch of discreet investigation and rescue of Mr Mike Ogbonna (alias Okwadike), said to have been abducted to an unknown destination during the invasion.
“The commissioner also ordered a manhunt for the assailants, who are said to have shot sporadically, and murdered two members of the party, Mr Kelvin Ezeoha, a former Enugu South Council APC Chairman, and Chidera Ogaba as well as seriously injured one other,” Ndukwe said.
He said that the state police boss had visited scene of the incident and an injured victim in the hospital where he was receiving treatment.
The police spokesman said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
“To this end, the commissioner has assured that no stone will be left unturned in fishing out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
“The commissioner urged political parties and their members to ensure timely notification of the command of their meetings or other political activities, to enable it plan ahead and ensure adequate security coverage.
“This is meant to avert any untoward incident of this nature,” Ndukwe said.
However, a top chieftain of the party in the south eastern state, who spoke on condition of anonymity, condemned the incident, saying that it had thrown the APC family in the state into deep mourning.
He said that when the gunmen struck, they shouted at the party faithful in the meeting, saying: “What are you people doing here? It seems you do not know that today is a sit-at-home. Why disobeying simple instructions to stay at home with your family?”
The APC chieftain said that party members were having a peaceful reconciliatory meeting before the hoodlums struck.
When contacted, a former State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party, Dr Ben Nwoye, said: “I cannot comment on this now. I am so devastated.” NAN