A hard-fighting female lawyer in Eleme, Rivers State, has been shot dead in an evening attack the day she went to a court hearing of her brother that was also assassinated earlier in the year. Many said free killing has continued in the industrial hub of Rivers State where over 200 companies are located.
Shooting continued most of that Wednesday night, according to reports from the area. The unidentified assassins again struck in Alode community killing the barrister, Mary Obe, the sister to the assassinated Isaac Obe.
The assassination of the brother who was a popular youth leader with large following had attracted violent protests, highlighted by burning down of houses belonging to suspected opponents.
The late barrister’s elder brother, Festus Obe, who confirmed the incident to BDSUNDAY said his sister was shot dead at about 7:00pm in their Alode family compound after attending to the late brother’s case in court.
According to Festus, his sister was planning to travel to Abuja in preparation to bury the late Isaac but met her untimely death in the hands of some unidentified gunmen who allegedly monitored her movement till they got her outside the compound.
Festus said he heard some gun shots from where he was (not very far from the compound), and when he rushed to the house, he found Mary lying in her own pool of blood as she was shot at close range bursting her head and arms.
Another man suspected to be an Akwa-Ibom man was also shot to death in his car when he was trying to reverse his car to escape from the scene.
According to Festus, the assassins were suspected killers of the late Isaac who was a former Eleme council youth president and the late barrister had been fighting for justice against his killing before she became the next target.
Mary, who was into private practice, was said to have consistently figured out some persons behind the death of her brother and was resolute to bringing them to justice but was caught down unaware in her family residence.
On receiving the sad report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Eleme, SP Taiwo Amos, promptly mobilised his officers to be on 24 hours patrol in the community against further breakdown of law and order, but tension hangs in the air. Most business operators closed their shops and some non-indigenes were packing out in droves for fear of reprisal attack.
In their reactions, top clerics; Moses Kattey, General Overseer of Commonwealth Covenant Church, Alode, and another bishop, Innocent Chidozie of Holy Ghost Will Liberation Ministry, Alode-Eleme, said that they received the shocking news of the barrister’s dastardly killing but did not know the motive of the killers.
Kattey, who is also an Alode son and resident in the community, said his church has been in constant prayer for peace and security to prevail in the community but he was at a loss over the killing of the barrister whom he described as an intelligent and astute lawyer.
Chidozie, on his own, said: “We are looking unto God for security in Eleme in general. We don’t use crisis to solve crisis. I have been here for 15 years and I can tell you that security in Eleme is un-amendable. The indigenes don’t accept peace; they need to embrace Christ for peace”.
“Eleme is a blessed land, but the people, especially the youth don’t know how to enjoy the blessings. So, we are here fighting demonic forces. The killing of the barrister would generate more problems if not properly handled,” the bishop said in fear.
BDSUNDAY finding revealed that reprisal attack is imminent in the community. Residents there have impressed on the government to deploy more armed security personnel like soldiers and mobile police teams to beef-up security to strengthen the Eleme Police Division.
Ignatius Chukwu & Godwin Egba
