Lawmaker shot, rights activist escapes death in Delta State

A member of Delta State House of Assembly, Reuben Izeze, has been hospitalised after he was shot by gunmen who reportedly attacked him on Thursday night.

Izeze, a two-term lawmaker representing Ughelli South Constituency at the State House of Assembly, was said to have been shot at Effurun, Uvwie council area, while returning home in his vehicle.

City Round gathered that the yet-to-be-identified armed men shot at Izeze’s vehicle at close range.

It was gathered that one of the aides to the lawmaker who was with him in the vehicle was accosted by the gunmen, but was later released.

Izeze was said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital where he is receiving treatment.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the attack, said it was more of robbery than attempted assassination.

He said the assailants had initially whisked away the lawmaker’s aid in his (Izeze’s) car but abandoned them on sighting a police team.

Meanwhile, a rights activist in the state, Israel Joe, said the gunmen who attacked Izeze might be the same gang that attempted to rob him of his Lexus 350 aound 8:40pm on Thursday when he (Joe) stopped over at a pharmacy around Jakpa junction, Effurun.

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Joe, on his Facebook page, narrated how he allegedly escaped being shot.

He wrote “Armed robbers in Effurun, Warri, and environs have been so emboldened. On my return from Enugu this evening (Thursday), I stopped by at the barber’s shop since home service might not be visible tomorrow being Xmas Watch night.

“Due to the protracted programme in Enugu where I had been since Monday this week, I had slight headache and had to branch off to the pharmacy at about 8.40pm (sic). As the pharmacist gave me the drugs, I suspected a Toyota Camry 2.2 pencil light, which parked behind my car. About three guys came out from the car.

“I took my drug and moved out of the shop when we heard sounds… ‘All of you lie down, common lie down now’, I fastened my steps and quickly disappeared into the darkness where I watched helplessly from a distance. In less than two minutes they robbed everyone in the barber’s shop but the pharmacist already switched off the light which made it impossible for them to proceed to the pharmaceutical shop.

“The moment they drove off towards Jakpa junction, I entered into my Lexus 350 car which they intended to rob and sped off…. he moment I got home, I received a call at about past 9pm from a comrade that our senior comrade and member representing the good people of Ughelli South in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Reuben Izeze, was shot by armed robbers. It could be the same persons who made a failed attempt to rob me about 25 minutes ago before the tragic incident of our senior comrade.”