State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha

By Victor Efeizomor

The Head of Personnel Management of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Mr. Bernard Chigwe, was on Sunday allegedly killed by armed Fulani cattle herdsmen.

He was allegedly murdered in his farm at his hometown in Kwale, headquarters of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that Chigwe had gone to the farm to discover that the farmland had been grazed by cattle, a situation that led him to invite policemen from Kwale division.

A source said the cattle herdsmen on sighting the police took to their heels while the police gave them a hot chase.

According to the source, as the chase was on, an unknown person suspected to be one of the herdsmen shot Chigwe from behind.

He was said to have died before getting to the hospital where he was rushed to for medical attention, while his corpse was deposited at one of the hospital mortuaries at Kwale.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state Police Command, Mr. Charles Muka, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident and added that investigation had already began, saying: “For now we cannot confidently say whether Chigwe was killed by Fulani cattle herdsmen because investigations are still on and we wouldn’t pre-empt our investigations.”

Muka also said the police have intensified efforts to track down the kidnappers of the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Hope Eghagha, who was abducted on Sunday, while his orderly was killed in the operation.

Investigation revealed that the hoodlums were yet to establish contacts with the victim’s family members or any official of the state government as at Monday evening.

His whereabouts remained unknown although speculations were rife that the hoodlums might have taken into the creeks in one of the neighbouring states.