By Emma Amaize & Akpokona Omafuaire
WARRI— Governorship candidate of Citizens People Party, CPP, in the last gubernatorial election in Delta State, Chief Ogbe Onogbite, was shot dead, weekend, in Warri by police while trying to escape arrest over alleged case of gun-running.

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, who relocated from Asaba to Warri in view of the rising cases of armed robbery and kidnapping in the oil city and environs, confirmed the death of the former governorship candidate, yesterday, in a chat with newsmen.

Vanguard gathered that Tsafe was putting heads together with his Area Commanders on strategies to tackle armed robbers and kidnappers, just as the Forum for Human Rights Defence and Justice, FJHD, Warri, weekend, raised alarm about the spate of armed robbery and kidnapping in Warri area.

It was alleged that Onogbite, who had lodged in a hotel in Warri, allegedly attempted to run after his driver was arrested by the police with AK-47 rifles and ammunition. In the process, he was gunned down.

The commissioner said: “Undercover operatives at 14.00 hours on Saturday, intercepted a Honda car vehicle with number plate, AM 528JRT, driven by a 33-year-old man (names withheld).

“The driver was flagged down by a police patrol men at Udu/Orhuwhorun road. They searched and recovered two AK-47 rifles with No. 20613 and 13702, with over 60 rounds of live ammunition.

“These rifles were to be delivered to a community leader, now on the run, at the instance of Ogbe Onogpite.

“The suspect took the patrol team to Beeland Hotel to apprehend his principal (Onogbite) who attempted to take to flight on sighting the police, but was maimed. The principal gave up the ghost on the way to the hospital.”

Same day, about 8.45pm, he said a joint patrol team of the Police  intercepted a black Audi 80, with number plate, EDO EP 493 BEN. One locally-made gun and eight live cartridges were recovered.

Meanwhile, FJHD in a statement by its leader, Ikimi Oghenejabor, said: “We are indeed worried about the spate of day light armed robberies in and around the twin cities of Effurun and Warri that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives in recent times.

“We call on Delta State Police Command and other security agencies in the state to evolve a more proactive approach via intelligence gathering in dealing with the menace.”