Gunmen Kill Paramount Ruler, Chairman in Bayelsa Community

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Palpable fear and tension has enveloped residents of the oil rich Kalaba/Okordia community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State over the killing of their Paramount Ruler, Mr. Francis Kolubo, and the Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Samuel Oburo, by unknown gunmen.

Though the real reasons for the killings have not been made known, the gory killings of the paramount ruler and the CDC Chairman may not be unconnected to the lingering chieftaincy dispute and their alleged opposition to plans by some crude oil thieves to set up a bunkering camp in the area.

THISDAY gathered that while the deceased paramount ruler was abducted from his palace on Sunday to an unknown destination where he was dealt several machete blows, particularly a deadly cut on the back of his neck close to the spinal cord.

The CDC chairman was dragged out of his house and brutally killed in his backyard.

While a source claimed that the deceased traditional ruler had been at loggerhead with some prominent indigenes over the move to conduct election that would produce a successor to the thrown due to the rotational agreement after four-year tenure.

It was further gathered that all efforts to conduct an election after the Community Election Committee had sold forms and screened two persons were frustrated by the deceased monarch.

He was also accused to securing a court injunction and a state government’s order stopping the election, which “did not go down well with our people,” a source told our correspondent. 

THISDAY also learnt that a popular crude oil bunkering merchant, who hailed from the community, had mobilised his group to set up an illegal operation of crude oil bunkering camp in the bushes bordering Kalaba and Ikarama community sometime early this year.

It was gathered that the plan was fiercely resisted by the deceased monarch and CDC chairman on the ground that it would disrupt the activities of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and hinder the development of the community.

Our source further hinted that when their initial plan could not work, the merchant and his gang began to destroy pipelines in the area in order to secure a surveillance contract from NAOC, which they allegedly secured afterwards.

“So, on Monday, the community woke up to the story that our paramount ruler has been kidnapped by some gunmen at about 3a.m. in his palace. We were all shocked and confused about what might have led to his abduction.

“That same day the CDC chairman travelled to Yenagoa, the state capital, to officially report the incident to the police. While he was there, information came to some members of the community that the gang saw the CDC chairman in Yenagoa while he was reporting the incident to police and that they have sent some gunmen to lay ambush at his house.

“When he drove into town, he was informed about this plot and advised not to enter the community but he refused. He said no harm will come to him. As he drove into the community, a popular pastor stopped him along the road and pleaded with him to take a back road that would lead him out of the community.

“This time he still refused to take the advice. Just as the gang had planned, the moment he got to his house about 7p.m., some men armed with guns and machete came out from hiding and dragged him to his backyard where they murdered him,” our source explained.

It was further gathered that shortly after the killing of the CDC chairman, the killer gang sent message to the community that the monarch has been gruesomely murdered and gave them direction to where they could recover the corpse.

Reacting to the incident, the Project Officer/Head of Niger Delta Resource Centre of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Mr. Morris Alagoa, described the killing as “unfortunate and sad.”

Alagoa said: “Although, I don’t know what prompted this action but that environment used to be peaceful and livable.”

The Spokesman of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the brutal killings and said the corpse of the monarch was found at Ikarama community and that the police are investigating the sad development.