Four heavily armed gunmen, who operated on two motorcycles, on Saturday, opened fire on the supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during Ebonyi Central senatorial campaign rally in Onuwankwo village, Ezzagu Ward 1, Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi State, killing one Mr. Emeka Nwusulor while four others were injured.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the gunmen also invaded the APC campaign rally in Agba Ward also in Ishielu local government area of the state and shot sporadically. However, no casualty was recorded in Agba.
Confirming the incident, the chairman of Ishielu local government area, Mr. Obinna Onwe, said that the hoodlums at about 5:30pm shortly after the rally was over, invaded Onuwankwo and started shooting sporadically at the party supporters who were about leaving the campaign ground.
The chairman, who described the incident as unfortunate, said that the hoodlums also burnt a Hiace bus belonging to the husband of the Inyaba Development Center Coordinator, Hon. Blessing Nweze, and another vehicle belonging to a party supporter.
Hon. Onwe said that the body of the deceased has been deposited at a mortuary while those who sustained gunshot injuries were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the State.
He lamented that the activities of the unknown gunmen along the Agba axis of Ishielu local government area has become worrisome, adding that the Local Government Council had alerted the security agencies on the danger posed by the activities of the gunmen in the area.
An eyewitness, who spoke to LEADERSHIP on the ground of anonymity, said that the hoodlums who were young boys between the ages of 20 and 25 years, wore mask and operated on motorcycles, adding that the attack caused panic and apprehension as residents scampered for safety.
“The incident happened just few minutes after the campaign rally of the APC Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi Central zone, Chief Ken Eze, ended at our village in Ezzagu Ward 1. The hoodlums were four in number and came with two motorcycles.
“On getting close to the rally ground where people parked their cars waiting to leave the venue of the rally, they first shot at Emeka Nwusulor who was standing along the road and started shooting sporadically but fortunately, the bullets didn’t kill any other person.
“Four persons were hit by the bullets but they didn’t die. The elderly women who trooped out in their numbers had to run inside the bushes and regrettably, many of them sustained injuries. Some had legs and hands dislocations while many also sustained injuries from the woods and sticks in the bushes,” the source narrated.
It would be recalled that unknown gunmen few days ago also attacked the convoy of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the State, Prof Bernard Odoh, along the same axis.
The gunmen during the attack shot and killed the governorship candidate’s personal driver and his security personnel which led to massive protest by women and youths from Ezza North Local Government Area of the State.
There have been public outcries over the activities of unknown gunmen along the area which has prompted many commercial drivers and motorists to abandon the route for other alternative routes.
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