By FESTUS AHON
UGHELLI  – Tension has heigthened in Patani Local Government Area, Delta State,  following the suspected assassination of 31-year- old Mr. Sixtus Ganagana, younger brother of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Basil Ganagana.

The late Sixtus Ganagana,  Vanguard gathered was killed in his house, near the Ughelli Township Stadium, Monday night.

It was gathered that the suspected assassins, who tried to escape in a red Mercedes Benze 190 after the killing, were intercepted by the Ughelli vigilante. The driver of the car was said to have been killed in a gun duel between local vigilante and the suspected assassins.

Also killed in the shootout was a member of the local vigilante, while another member of the security outfit sustained bullet injuries and was receiving treatment at press  time.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, Mr Charles Murka, confirmed the incident.

He, however, said it was a team of police officers that intercepted the suspected assassins while they were escaping, adding  “we gunned down one of the suspects.”

He denied knowledge of the Ughelli vigilante intercepting the gang. He said; “I am not aware of any member of the local vigilante being shot dead or injured.”

Reacting to the killing, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Ganagana, described the death of his younger brother as a rude shock.

Ganagana who spoke through his media aide, Mr Patrick Edema, said the attack on his younger brother was the handiwork of his political opponents.

Urging security agents to swing into action with a view to tracking down the suspected assassins, he charged his supporters to remain calm and allow law enforcement agents to carry out their investigation.

Ganagana said the suspected assassination of his younger brother would not deter him from providing effective representation to his constituents.