The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ezza North Local Government Area, Peter Nweke, who was allegedly beaten by thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi State, is dead.
Nweke reportedly died from injuries he sustained from attacks by hoodlums on Saturday, during the governorship and state Assembly elections.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed his death on Sunday.
She said Nweke was beaten up and rushed to the hospital unconscious where he was later pronounced dead by a doctor.
She said the police had launched an investigation into the death with a view to arresting and prosecuting those responsible.
The younger brother of the deceased, Samson, also confirmed the death to The PUNCH.
Samson had on Saturday informed our correspondent that his brother was beaten into a coma by APC thugs.
He said, “The thugs, wielding with AK-47 rifles, invaded his Polling Unit 10, Ogboji Ward, Ezza North LGA Ebonyi State. The thugs came in two carter motorcycles and surrounded him and others. They beat my brother, Mr Nweke Peter, till he went into a coma. He was rushed to hospital.
“The hoodlums were also said to have set ablaze all the electoral materials in the three booths in Ndiagu Ogboji, booths 009, 010 and 011.”
Samson said his late brother had warned him to be careful as he had received intelligence that the two of them had been marked for elimination.
He recalled, “Two weeks ago, Peter came visiting me in Abakaliki. I wasn’t in the house but he met my wife. He told my wife to tell me that I should be very careful. He said that a certain political party had penned down some persons in our community for elimination on or before the election date. He said he was number one on the list, that I was number two and that there were three other persons.
“Today, it happened to us. While I luckily survived it, my brother could not. They killed him at the polling unit. I wish today never came. How I wish there was never a date called March 18, 2023. My brother wouldn’t have died. A young man so full of life and promise.”
