Suspected crude oil thieves on Sunday night ambushed and killed the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman of Igbomotoru 1 community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Mr. Goodnews Manash.
The deceased was said to have been ambushed behind the community’s school compound about 10:30 pm, Sunday night, while on his way to his brother’s house.
Igbomotoru is a beehive of illegal oil bunkering and has been under the watch of surveillance of security agencies.
The community has also been embroiled in endless intra-community clashes that have forced many indigenes into exile.
According to investigations, Manash’s killers were said to have gained access to the town through a forest at the back of the community to escape the military patrol on the waterways.
Sources said the assailants knew his movements and waited for him to pass through the route to his friend’s house before attacking him.
“Because we have military checkpoints along our waterway, making it impossible for them to come in speedboats. They came through the forest. There was no hint that the gunmen involved in illegal activities, unchallenged, especially crude oil bunkering, would strike.
“They had been driven out of the community by the Nigerian army. And angered by that, they have succeeded in killing the CDC chairman, who is working hard to restore peace in our community.”
Confirming the incident, the paramount ruler of the community, HRH. Ayibaikie Aseimighen Ofongo said someone called in the wee hours of Monday to inform him that gunmen had abducted the CDC chairman of our community.
“It was not until daybreak that I got concrete information that the CDC chairman had been assassinated in the community. I can confirm that he is dead, but we intend to have meetings at the community level before we issue an office statement to the public.”
The press secretary to the chairman of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, Dr. Ayibaetare Easterday, said that he also got wind of the news.
He condemned the incident, stressing that such a case puts the community and the local government in a bad light before the international community.
“The story is true, but he was not killed in his house. He was killed close to another person’s compound, whom he was going to visit. It is an unfortunate incident, and we pray that this kind of thing does not happen again.
“We are all brothers and sisters, so if we offend one another in the community, we should exercise tolerance and make peace. The incident is not befitting of who we are, and it is condemnable.”
