One killed during Ebonyi Speaker”s rally

A man, named Alias Nwankwegu (aka) Okarika was yesterday shot dead by suspected thugs in Ebonyi State during a political gathering. Daily Trust gathered that the deceased was a brother of the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Augustine Nwankwuegu who also had served the state recently as Attorney general/ commissioner of […]

A man, named Alias Nwankwegu (aka) Okarika was yesterday shot dead by suspected thugs in Ebonyi State during a political gathering.

Daily Trust gathered that the deceased was a brother of the former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Augustine Nwankwuegu who also had served the state recently as Attorney general/ commissioner of Justice.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary of Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki (FETHA 2) yesterday evening.

An anonymous insider who does not want his name on print, told Our correspondent that the ugly incident happened at Nwafeh primary school, Agbaga in Izzi local government area, during a rally alleged to be in support of the speaker, Ebonyi state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwafirure’s re-election bid for the third time as member of the State House of Assembly.

The reliably source further said that the victim was allegedly shot twice on the head by one of the boys suspected to be royal to the speaker, few minute to the kick of time of the rally.

Reacting to the incident, the spokesman of the Speaker, Mr. Tony Nwezi exonerated his boss from the unfortunate death of Okarika.

Nwezi also added that the gathering was a ward meeting not a rally in support of Mr. Speaker re-election bid come 2019 as claimed in some quarters.

"What happened is that we are suppose to hold a ward meeting there but was called off  before the commercement of the event.

"So it was not a rally in support of Mr. speaker but ward meeting. I was not there but what I heard is that some persons walked in and called somebody out and shot him.

"That is what l heard and the victim has been taken to the hospital and we are on our way to the hospital", he explained.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ebonyi State Police Command, ASP Loveth Odah confirmed the incident.

ASP Odah reiterated that the incident happened at about 2pm on Saturday at Nwafeh Primary school where the speaker was expected to hold a rally so as to declare his intention to re-contest for the third time as member of the State House Assembly.

"According to the report reaching me now from the DPO, the incident happened at about 2pm at Nwafeh Primary school where the speaker is suppose to declare his intention to re-contest his position as honourable member for Izzi West constituency when unknown gunmen walked in and called out one Okiraka from the scene into one of the classrooms and shot him.

"So some concerned individuals on hearing the gunshot ran to scene and rushed the victim to a hospital but unfortunately, the doctor on duty confirmed him dead.

"So at present, one Emma Nwafeh suspected to be the killer is on the run and effort by the community to track him down has not yielded any positive result but we have intensify our efforts to arrest him," she explained.