Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha, a youth leader and chieftain of the People's Democratic Party in Bayelsa State, was shot and killed on Friday by unidentified assailants wearing military camouflage.
The 53-year-old dead was a secretary for the Okordia/Zarama Cluster Development Board as well as an administrative official in the State Civil Service and a PDP member.
A few hours after bringing his unwell wife home from the hospital, he was apparently murdered.
News organisations learned that the event, which happened at around 2:00 p.m. in the state capital's mechanic village region along the Edepie-Imiringi road, caused chaos in the neighbourhood as enraged youths' attempts to block the attackers' escape failed.
Residents who spoke with newsmen voiced alarm about the rising number of brutal murders and kidnappings committed by assailants driving tinted automobiles and wearing military uniforms.
The gunmen, who were three in number, clothed in military clothes, and who were wearing masks, entered Imiringi Road from Block Industry Street and shot their victim in the head and other areas of his body at close range, according to information obtained by newsmen.
The brutal murder of the Paramount ruler and chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC) last month over refusal to accept the establishment of an illegal refinery in the area may have some bearing on the assassination, which may not be unrelated to the raging communal crisis in his community in Kalaba in the Okodia/Zarama area of the State.
The traditional ruler of Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Francis Kolubo, and her Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman, Samuel Oburo were brutally murdered in June over their alleged refusal to allow illegal bunkering activities in their community.
A security source said that there is a recommendation before the State Government calling for a quick resolution of the crisis consuming the Kalaba community to avert more violent deaths, ”Some names were mentioned in the Kalaba crisis and the state government have been told to intervene to stop the killings. It is enough.” the source said.
The Spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, who confirmed the development, stated “Police operatives responded to a distress call at about 1400 hours on Friday 22 July 2022, that armed men shot on Odeinyefa Ogbolosingha at his residence at Imiringi road, Yenagoa. The victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa for treatment but was confirmed dead. Investigations have commenced”.