The murder of a traditional leader, Chief Francis Kolubo, and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Samuel Oburo, by unidentified gunmen has caused palpable tension in the Kalaba community in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State.
The killing of the Paramount ruler and the CDC chairman was reportedly attributed to the community’s ongoing chieftaincy dispute and the two men’s alleged opposition to some crude oil thieves’ plans to establish a bunkering camp in the area, even though the motive for the killing was not immediately clear to the community.
Further information revealed that the CDC chairman was brutally murdered in his backyard after being dragged out of his home on Sunday, in contrast to the deceased traditional ruler, who had been kidnapped from his palace on Saturday and taken to an unidentified location.
Due to the rotational agreement of four-year tenure, a source claimed that the deceased traditional ruler had a falling out with some influential members of the community over the decision to hold elections that will produce a successor to the throne.
Additionally, it was reported that the deceased monarch thwarted all attempts to hold the election after the Community Election Committee (ELECO) had sold ballots and interviewed two candidates.
Read Also: Gunmen kidnap doctor, lawyer, five others in Kogi
He was also charged with getting a state government order and a court injunction to halt the election.
The source said, “It was not well received by our people.”
A well-known crude oil bunkering merchant from the neighbourhood, according to information obtained by our correspondent, organised his group to set up an illegal crude oil bunkering camp in the bushes between the communities of Kalaba and Ikarama early this year.
On the grounds that any attempt to interfere with the operations of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) would impede the community’s development, it was learned that the deceased monarch and the chairman of the CDC fiercely opposed the crude oil bunkering merchant’s plan.
The merchant and his gang allegedly started destroying nearby pipelines after their initial scheme fell through in an effort to obtain a surveillance contract from NAOC, which they allegedly obtained later on, according to our source, who also hinted that when their initial scheme failed.
Further information was obtained, including the claim that the late monarch and CDC chairman exposed the gang of crude oil thieves and took over the surveillance contract.
“After that, the gang started making plans to assassinate our monarch and the head of the CDC. They were planning the murder when a woman overheard them and told the deceased, but they laughed it off and did nothing about it.
“So, on Monday, news spread throughout the community that our paramount ruler had been taken hostage by gunmen in his palace at around 3 am. All of us were shocked and perplexed as to what might have caused his kidnapping.
“The CDC chairman travelled to Yenagoa, the State’s capital, on the same day to formally report the incident to the Police. While he was there, some community members learned that the gang had sent some gunmen to set up an ambush at the CDC chairman’s home after they saw him in Yenagoa while he was reporting the incident to the police.
He was warned not to enter the community when he arrived in town after learning about this plot, but he refused. No harm would befall him, he assured. As he entered the community, a well-known Pastor pulled over next to him and begged him to turn onto a side road that would take him away from the neighbourhood.
Read Also: Nigerian journalist, Princess Amalaha, named UTA Country President
He still didn’t heed the advice this time. The moment he arrived at his home around 7 o’clock, some men carrying guns and manchettes emerged from hiding, dragged him to his backyard, and then killed him, just as the gang had planned,” the source recalled.
In addition, it was learned that soon after the CDC chairman was killed, the murderous group allegedly sent a message to the locals informing them that the monarch had been brutally murdered and giving them instructions on how to find his body.
Morris Alagoa, Project Officer/Head of Niger Delta Resource Center of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), responded to the incident by describing the killings as “unfortunate and sad.”
The environment there used to be calm and livable, he continued, “but I don’t know what prompted this action.”
Asinim Butswat, a spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, confirmed the incident and stated that the monarch’s body had been discovered in the Ikarama community. He also stated that the police were looking into the incident.
