By Emma Amaize

PORT HARCOURT—GUNMEN, yesterday, ambushed and opened fire on Deputy National Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Chief Francis Doukpola, on the East-West Road, killing his driver.

Sources said the gunmen, who launched their attack between Elele and Isiokpo, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, shot sporadically at Doukpola’s vehicle.

gunmen

National Secretary of PANDEF, Dr. Alfred Mulade, who confirmed the attack to Vanguard on phone, said: “Chief Doukpola was on his way to Port Harcourt from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, to take a flight to Abuja for a scheduled meeting of leaders and elders on behalf of PANDEF, when he was attacked.

“He is alive, but the driver died.”

It was learned that the staccato of gunshots attracted policemen and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who rushed to the scene and took the South-South leader to a hospital in Port Harcourt.

It was gathered that the killers thought that Doukpola was dead.