From Tony John, Port Harcourt
ARMED men allegedly beheaded a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Omoku, Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mr. Frankline Obi in his home at the weekend.
The assailants also murdered his wife, Ihuoma and his 18-year-old first son, Bestman.
The tragedy occurred last Saturday night at their residence located at Usomini quarters in Omoku.
The killing occurred about 48 hours after another APC member, Mr. Ipalibo Black-Duke was shot dead and his body carried away by the assailants in Abonnema, Akuku- Toru Local Government area of the state.
Obi, until his untimely death, was the APC leader for Ward 4 in the area.
However, Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Musa Kimo, confirmed the murder of the APC Ward 4 leader in Omoku.
Mr. Kimo said the gunmen stormed the victims’ home at about 9:00pm last Saturday.
He regretted that the police were not contacted while the assailants carried out the dastardly act.
“I am here on a condolence visit to the family of the deceased and to assess security situation here in Omoku with the intention to restrategise in order to put urgent security measures in place to forestall future occurrence.
“I was informed that the gunmen came masked and operated for about 20 minutes without anybody contacting the police. The DPO of the area was informed about the incident from Port Harcourt. We cannot be everywhere. We are pleading with the public to work together with us.
“People should have confidence and they should have called the police and the we will act,” Kimo appealed.
Meanwhile, the APC has described the gruesome murder of its ward chairman alongside his wife and son as ‘shocking’.
APC, in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, said: “The killing of our Franklyn Obi is shocking. Late Obi was the APC Ward 4 chairman; he managed and moderated the ONELGA APC meeting last Thursday in Omoku and by Saturday, he was killed and beheaded while his wife and son were killed.”
Also, the Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland, Sir Chukumela Nnam Obi II, who spoke when the state police commissioner visited him in his palace, expressed sadness over the killing, even as he expressed the belief that the killings would one day cease. The monarch said: “Those who don’t want us to have peace will never know peace. We have done a peace march. With churches everywhere, it is shocking that we still have such killing in ONELGA.”