Gunmen kill Army Captain, as lover burns NYSC member to death

PORT HARCOURT—GUNMEN shot dead an Army Captain, simply identified as Joseph, in Port Harcourt, yesterday. 

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, PPPRO, Angela Agaba, who confirmed the development, identified the victim, adding that the crime was still under investigation.

It was, however, gathered that the gunmen had trailed the deceased from Aba Road through Rumuola to Psychiatric Hospital Road, where they caught up with him at a traffic gridlock.

A resident, who spoke to Vanguard said: “Four gunmen in a Toyota Camry car chased the victim and caught him here as he tried in vain to reverse on the traffic jam.” see more

It was also gathered that the victim was pleading loudly in Ikwerre dialect for the assailants to spare his life, indicating that he may be of Ikwerre extraction and possibly knew the killers.

Meanwhile, Police in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, are currently questioning a graduate, one Francis Ogbonna, said to be from Ovim in Isikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, on why he allegedly burnt to death a 23-year-old girl, a National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member in Port Harcourt.

The girl, Miss Winifred Oke, was said to have been killed by Francis Ogbonna, believed to be her lover. They were said to have attended the same university, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.

Miss Oke, a native of Amawo, Oboro in Ikwuano Local Government Area of the state, was said to have graduated from the university with a second class upper in Home Economics.

The body was transferred from the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia, Wednesday, with an NYSC ambulance.

According to her 53-year-old father, Mr. Okechukwu Oke, the suspect, Francis, allegedly sprinkled petrol around the house of his daughter and set it ablaze, which gave Winifred severe burns.

Her roommate, whose name Vanguard could not ascertain at press time, also sustained serious injuries and is still receiving treatment at UPTH.

Her father said: “Sometime last month, July, somebody called me on phone at 7a.m., that I should come to Port Harcourt, saying my daughter had an accident.

“I asked the type of accident and he said that she had an accident at the NYSC members’ residence in Port Harcourt. On further enquiry, he said somebody poured petrol in her apartment and set it ablaze.

“According to the report, at 1a.m., the suspect first locked the door from outside, went through the window, sprinkled petrol and then set her room ablaze. I and her mother had to go to Port Harcourt.

“She had plastic surgery on her legs and she remained in the intensive care unit, ICU. She was on oxygen until Wednesday, July 31, before she died at 5.30a.m