A returning officer for the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Ondo State, Mr Alaba Abey, has been killed by suspected gunmen.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday at his home in Supare Akoko, Akoko South West local government area.
It was also learnt that the deceased who served as a ward coordinator for the Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation Foot-Soldiers (LACO-SF) was the returning officer for the party primary at his Ward 10 in the council when the gunmen struck
The deceased elder brother, Samuel Abbey, who confirmed the incident, said he was killed on Saturday at 9 pm shortly after returning home in front of his house.
Meanwhile, LACO-SF has condemned the gruesome murder of its member and called on the police authorities to protect its members from such attacks.
In a statement released by the state information director of the organisation, Mr Kayode Fasua, the group said the late Abbey was actively involved in campaigning for the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa until his untimely demise.
According to the group, the deceased was shot in his Supare home on April 27.
Reacting to the tragic news, the director-general of LACO-FS in Akoko Southwest local government area, Hon. David Ajobiewe, described the incident as a shocking tragedy.
“He had been a resourceful coordinator for the Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation in Ward 10 of Supare and was never known to be violent and never had any history of a local or domestic dispute.
“We urge the police authorities to step up investigation into his gruesome murder and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book,” Ajobiewe pleaded.
The police public relations officer, Funmilayo Odunmlami-Omisanya, said the command was aware of the incident.
Odunmlami-Omisanya said the command had begun an investigation to unravel all that happened.