Confusion in Sapele over killing of two friends

By Emma Arubi
WARRI— SAPELE town in Delta State was thrown into confusion yesterday evening when a  youth (name withheld), shot dead two other boys at Yoruba road over undisclosed reasons.

One of the deceased, identified as Macgrey Oyeke, 28, and his visiting friend, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was shot at a very close range by the assailant, while one Popo, who sustained serious gun shot wound, is now receiving treatment at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

Vanguard authoritatively gathered that the suspect’s action was the climax of a fracas which started at a very popular hotel in Sapele last Friday, 1 January 2010, which resulted in the gruesome stabbing of one of their own.

Sources in Warri alleged that he was one of those who invaded the Olu’s Palace recently to disrupt the all important Itsekiri National Conference, where Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor and other chiefs were harassed and properties for the event destroyed.

It was further learnt that the two dead young men were amongst those struggling to wrest the pump action rifle from him to prevent him from further shooting, as he was said to have shot at two other boys in the area before shooting the victims.

Vanguard gathered that all efforts to appeal to the assailant to drop his gun by the chairman of Warri North local government area, Dr. Godwin Ebosa, failed before the ugly incident that led angry residents and other youths in the area to burn down his Toyota Corolla taxi cab recently allocated to him by the state government.

The assailant’s home and property were also visited by the angry youths who ransacked and vandalized everything in sight, while his wife and children ran for cover.

Police authorities in Sapele confirmed the incident, just as the suspect is said to be on the run.
Peace efforts are said to be in top gear by some notable politicians in Sapele to resolve the issues at stake.

Meanwhile, the corpses of the late Macgrey and his friend have been deposited at Eferakeya Mortuary, Amukpe, near Sapele.