Gunmen have assassinated the ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Ife/Akpodim/Chokoneze Ward in the Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Chiedoziem Anyanwu.

Anyanwu was fatally shot on Thursday by gunmen riding a motorcycle, according to information received by our correspondent.

According to sources, on arrival at his house, his killers mentioned his name and requested to see him. On identifying him as the one, they shot him dead.

His killers were said to have ensured that he was dead before they fled the scene.

One of the sources said, “The chairman of the PDP in Ife/Akpodim/Chokoneze ward in the Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area has been killed. He was shot dead in his wife’s presence by gunmen who requested to see him.

“The development has brought an uneasy calm to the fold of the PDP in the state. The slain party chairman was vibrant. Nobody knew why he was killed.”

When contacted, the Director General of the New Media of the PDP in the state, Lancelot Obiaku, confirmed the killing.

He, however, called for the arrest and prosecution of the fleeing suspects.

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, said that he had not been briefed on the killing.

He, however, said that he was going to make an inquiry and revert to our correspondent, but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.

The PUNCH reported earlier in February that gunmen shot the PDP chairman in Ogbaku ward, Charles Oke, in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the same state.

Our correspondent reported that Oke was shot around 8.59pm by gunmen who gained access to his house by jumping the fence of the building.

A source in the community said, “The PDP chairman was shot in his house by gunmen who were waiting for him in his compound.

“He raised the alarm and tried running into his house, but he was shot in one of his legs. The attackers scaled the fence and ran away immediately.” (The PUNCH)

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