Gunmen, on Friday, ran amok in Owerri, Imo State capital city, and gunned down a policeman and another resident, Prince Iheme.
Prince Iheme is older brother to popular Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme, popularly called Pawpaw.
The gunmen shot sporadically in parts of Mbaitoli, Orji and Owerri, even as they warned people to stay indoors in observance of the sit-at-home ordered by a faction of proscribed agitators of Biafra.
They also inflicted machete cuts on the Imo State’s Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Martin Eke, and left him in the pool of his blood.
The gunmen, who operated in three vehicles, drove into Orji and started attacking residents and passers-by, including policemen.
A source said that the gunmen met policemen at 7up Junction at Orji and shot one cop dead.
He said, “They killed a policemen. They opened fire on them and were shouting ‘didn’t you hear there is sit-at-home. We have asked you to go home. Stay in doors.’”
Another eyewitness said the gunmen made a stop at Nkwo-Orji market and shot sporadically before zooming off towards Okigwe Road.
At Ubomri in the Mbaitoli local government area of the State, gunmen attacked the convoy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency, Engr. Akarachi Amadi.
Amadi and his entourage were on their way back from a political campaign rally.
The source added, “Prince Iheme was riding in the same vehicle with the Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Martin Eke. Prince Iheme who is Pawpaw’s elder brother was killed on the spot. The Commissioner, who was sworn in two weeks ago was cut badly. He has just been rushed to a hospital. They were driving in a Ford vehicle”.
The Imo State Police spokesperson, Michael Abattam, was yet to respond to enquiries about the attacks as at press time.
