Criminals kill artisan, kidnap APC chieftains in Imo

There was panic in Imo state on Friday evening as criminals killed an auto mechanic identified as Valentine Enwerem.

He was killed at a place called U- turn after Nkwo Orji market junction on Owerri-Okigwe Road.

After shooting him dead, the gunmen kidnapped the three persons he was carrying in a vehicle.

The development caused panic in the area as they shot continuously while leaving the scene.

The deceased’s colleagues told our correspondent at his workshop at Orji Mechanic village on Saturday, that his killers drove towards the Okigwe end of the road after killing him and abducting the occupants of his vehicle.

One of his colleagues said, “They said they didn’t come for him and asked him to cooperate with them. They later shot him dead and zoomed off towards the Okigwe end of the road after kidnapping the people in the vehicle.

“He was from Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state and his wife sells things besides his workshop. This is very unfortunate. We are pained and highly embittered by this loss.”

Also, two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress were similarly kidnapped at two locations in the Isiala Mbano LGA of the state on Friday.

While Chief Godson Obijiaku was kidnapped at his community in Amauzairi, another politician cum businessman from Ikeduru LGA popularly known as Ability was abducted at a pharmaceutical shop at Amaraku.

The development caused panic in the areas as people ran inside their homes while shops hurriedly closed for the day.

A source said, “Chief Obijiaku, an aspirant in the upcoming LGA chairmanship election has been kidnapped. As they approached Amaraku, they saw a Toyota Tundra vehicle parked in front of a pharmaceutical shop, they stopped, went inside and kidnapped Chief Ability and fired multiple gunshots as they made their way out. The area is in panic mode, the government should do something.”

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Michael Abattam, had yet to respond to an inquiry concerning the incidents as of the time of filing this report.