Tension has gripped residents of Sapele in Delta State as gunmen shot dead four people including the legislative leader of Warri North Local Government Council, Grikpa Bigha, in the metropolis.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the killers who stormed the community, on Wednesday, also shot dead one Alhaji Bello, a businessman who deals in the hire purchase of tricycles and motorbikes for local commercial rider operators as well as a boutique operator, one Matthew Ekiopa Eroso and his sales girl, who were both shot dead in front of their shop along Mission Road by Lexi Junction.
The motives behind the latest gale of killings in the Sapele metropolis were yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.
It was gathered that the killings came amidst the recovery of the bloated remains of two young boys, who had been declared missing two days earlier.
A source who sought anonymity however said that the deceased politician, like the other victims, “was probably at the wrong place at the wrong time”.
Lamenting the spate of killings on his Facebook page, Khalil Samuel, a resident of the troubled town said, “Four people killed in Sapele this (Wednesday) morning. Sapele needs a serious intervention”.
He urged the government to declare a curfew in the town as, according to him, the killings are totally unacceptable.
Reacting, a former member of Delta State House of Assembly, Daniel Mayuku, expressed shock at Grikpa’s death wondering over what could have been the offence of Grikpa whom he described as “a very calm and respectful councillor”.
Also commenting on the gory incidents in the community, a Sapele-based blogger, Sapele Amebo, reported that the remains of two youths who were declared missing 48 hours earlier were recovered from a sand beach in the town while the remains showed signs of lacerations on their throats, thus raising suspicions that their remains were dumped into the river after they had been killed.
The Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe could not be reached for comments as of the time of filing this report.
Recall that incidences of killings and bloody attacks by rival cult groups had rocked Sapele community in the last two years with several lives lost in the ugly circumstances.
