Posted by OSARO OKHOMINA on
FRESH tension yesterday gripped the residents of the Edo State capital following the brutal killing of a prominent politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Eboigbe, by armed men suspected to be hired assassins.
FRESH tension yesterday gripped the residents of the Edo State capital following the brutal killing of a prominent politician and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Eboigbe, by armed men suspected to be hired assassins.
Mr. Eboigbe was shot dead outside his residence at the First East Circular area of the ancient city, few hours after declaring his intention to contest the chairmanship seat of the Oredo Local Government Council in 2007 on the platform of the party.
Already, hundreds of Benin youths believed to be loyal to the aspiration of the deceased in 2007 took to the streets in protest against the killing amidst accusation that Eboigbe was a casually of the factionalisation of the party at the local government level.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that the armed men, numbering about five had at around 7 pm on Thursday evening visited the residence of the deceased and requested to see him on some urgent issues about the Oredo Council. Not suspecting any danger, the late politician known for his open display of interest in peoples welfare came out for the discussion.
It was gathered that few minutes later, a loud sound of gun shot was heard outside and Eboigbe's wife, Mrs Kate Eboigbe, rushed outside and saw lots of people gathered around a body on the ground and discovered it was her husband's.
When Sunday Vanguard visited yesterday, sympathizers were trooping into the deceased house to console the wife and family. Mrs. Eboigbe told Sunday Vanguard that the armed men who visited seemed to know her husband well," he followed them out only for me to hear some noise outside the house about an hour later. When I rushed out, I saw people in the street gathered crying and wailing. When I looked carefully, I saw my husband lying on the ground. I rushed to him asking him to get up, he did not answer. I shouted and shouted, he was dead. They have killed him",
The late Eboigbe, a two-term elected Councilor in the Oredo Local Government Council and one of the most popular politicians in the locality, had last week stated during an interview with a local television station in the state that he was not happy with the political and economic development of Oredo Local Government, saying he had decided to come out, with the full support of his people, to contest the forthcoming 2007 Council Chairmanship election.