Tragedy struck in the Isheagu community in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State following the gruesome murder of three members of a family including a university un­dergraduate student by unknown persons.

It was gathered that five days into the New Year, three members of the family of one Mr Sunday Ogbu were murdered by yet-to-be-identified persons. The victims were Mrs Ogbu; the daughter (a University student) and Mrs Ogbu’s brother, who was said to be on a visit to the family for the Christmas holidays.

According to Mr Sunday Ogbu who alerted the head of Isheagu Community Vigilante Group, Mr Peter Ifebese on the incident, he was away from the town on a trip and only met the corpses of his family members on his return, murdered in cold blood.

Commenting on the issue, the Ozoma of Isheagu Kingdom, Chief Austin Modebe, described the inci­dent as very strange, unusual and unprecedented in the community.

Chief Modebe stressed that the issue was a development that should be taken with utmost seri­ousness to unravel the mysteries and track down the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Accordingly, Chief Modebe paid a visit to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Mr Wale Abbas, to register his displeasure over the abandonment of the Isheagu Police Station established in the 70s before the introduction of the Police Division at Nsukwa, a neighbouring community in 2013.

He subsequently made a return visit to the Police in the company of Chief Stephen Uwafili and leaders of the Isheagu Development Union [IDU] with a letter of request for the activation of the station.

According to the letter which was made available to our correspondent, “The rate of crime (in Isheagu Community) has tremen­dously increased due to the lack of police presence. The latest crime is the murder of three persons in a house without a trace of the criminals.

“We appeal to the Commission­er of Police to use his good office to come to our aid by sending police­men to resume work in the area. This will enable peace to return in Isheagu and its environs.”

He lamented that though the Isheagu Police Station is equipped with standard cell, armoury, and living accommodations for male and female Police officers the fa­cility has not had the presence of a single police officer for the past three years. (Text, excluding headline: Saturday Independent)