Dan Opara
The people of Ogbuke,Ogbujioma Ogbaku Autonomous Community in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State were thrown into heavy panic and fear of the unknown gunmen following the assassination attempt of one of their prominent community leaders in the area, Chief Emma Meziem, by a yet-to- be identified gunmen last Tuesday.
Narrating his ordeal, while conducting newsmen round his compound, scene of the gunmen’s attack, Chief Meziem said that, the incident occurred at about 1:30 am penultimate Wednesday morning, when the gang of five gunmen who operate on motorcycles stopped at his gate and started shooting sporadically, in order to gain access into his compound.
According to the community leader, the suspected assassins besieged the gate to his premises the ill – fated Wednesday morning, as he was saying midnight prayers with his wife, adding that, as soon as he heard the gunshots at the gate, himself and his wife quickly ran for cover, and raised alarm which alerted men of the community’s Vigilante Group who arrived no sooner than the gunmen left.
When asked if the assassination attempt on his life was politically motivated, chief Meziem said that his life has been under threat by some persons, whom he alleged, had continued to threaten the peace and security in the community.
Other stakeholders in the area who spoke to journalists on the spate of insecurity in the community, notable among whom are; the traditional prime minister of Ogbujioma-Ogbaku community, chief Solomon Odunze, the youth leader, Comr.Ejike Chukwukere, and the Prefect of the community’s Vigilante Group, Okwudiri Onyekwere, described the assassination attempt on Chief Meziem as ‘heinous’, even as they called for stringent measures to forestall repeat of such ugly incident.
As at the time of filing this report, Chief Meziem had earlier reported the matter to the police in the area.
