Residents of Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, were Wednesday night thrown into apprehension as suspected armed bandits went on rampage, killing a retired principal, Chief E. Ekee on Ogbojuku Street and also shot the Publisher of Rainbow Newspaper, Mr. Matthias Ogbagah on Ogodo Street.
The gunmen, numbering over seven, stormed the area between 8p.m. and 9p.m., shot sporadically as they made their way out.
Speaking to Vanguard at his hospital bed, Mr. Ogbagah, who is also the Financial Secretary of the Ughelli chapel, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, said he walked into the gunmen numbering seven, who were already within his compound before he was shot at close range.
He said: “Immediately I entered the compound, they accosted me and collected my phones and the money in my pocket after which I was shot by one of them who was armed and they left me, thinking I was dead.
“Realizing they had gone, I tried to seek for help by hopping and jumping the fence behind the compound, only for them to shoot at me on sighting me trying to scale the fence. At that point, I acted like I was dead after which I was rescued.”
It will be recalled that the same journalist, on November 15, 2014, sustained life-threatening cuts when he was attacked by three gunmen, who were later arrested by members of the Ughelli Vigilante Outfit.
Efforts to reach family members of the deceased, Chief E. Ekee, who hails from Irri, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state for comments on the development, proved abortive at press time.
However, the state Police Public Relations Office, Celestina Kalu, confirmed the killing of Chief Ekee.
Kalu said the police was on the trail of the suspected hoodlums and expressed hope that the criminals would be arrested and brought to book.
