Ebonyi LG chairman dies after hoodlums attack

Tragedy has hit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) family in Ebonyi State.

The party’s chairman for the Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Peter Nweke, has died after he was attacked by suspected political thugs of a rival party.

He died after the attack received from the hoodlums on Saturday during the governorship and state assembly elections.

Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed Nweke’s death, adding the PDP chairman was beaten by thugs and rushed to the hospital unconscious where he was later pronounced dead by a doctor.

According to Onome, the police have launched an investigation into the death with a view to arresting and prosecuting the assailants.

Nweke’s younger brother, Samson Nweke, said his brother was beaten to coma by thugs on Saturday.

He said the thugs carrying AK-47 riffles invaded his polling unit booth 10, Ogboji ward, Ezza North LGA of Ebonyi State.

He disclosed that the thugs came in two Carter motorcycles and surrounded him, his brother, and others.

Samson said his brother warned him to be careful after he received intelligence that the two of them were marked for elimination.

He said, “Two weeks ago, Brother Peter came to visit 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 enlisted some persons from our community for elimination on or before the election date. He said he is number one on the list, I am number two, and three other persons.

“Today, it happened to us. While I luckily survived it, my brother could not. They killed him at my polling unit.

“I wish today never came. How I wish there was never a date called 18th March 2023. Bro Peter wouldn’t have died. A young man so full of life and promise.”