BY BETTY IDIALU

The volatile Ekpan Community in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State was at it again as suspected assassins hacked to death a newly elected member of the executive committee of the Ekpan Community Trust of the Ekpan Community while on his way to the inauguration of the executive body.
The victim, Mr Abraham Edesiri Olomu, who was said to be financial secretary-elect of the Ekpan Community Trust, was reportedly on his way to the Ekpan Community Townhall, venue of the inauguration of the new executive committee when his was attacked and killed.
NIGERIAN OBSERVER gathered that the deceased was stabbed and then shot by his yet-to-be-identified assailants.
He was reported to have died on his way to the hospital., after he was shot near Ekpan Market.
The death of the newly elected financial secretary of the community development association, popularly called ‘Comrade Olomu”, brought to an abrupt stop and suspension of the planned inauguration on Monday and threw the entire community into confusion and mourning.
It was further larnt that a member of the community, identified as Mr Sunday Leleji, reportedly died on receiving news of Olomu’s death, apparently out of shock.
People including Ekpan community members and visitors who had started arriving for the inauguration ceremony reportedly scampered for safety following sound of sporadic gunshots.
Business activities in Ekpan and surrounding area was also disrupted following the incident in the volatile neighbourhood.
Angry youths barricaded roads in the area and made bonfire as tension and fear enveloped the whole area until security reinforcement eventually calm down things and brought the tense situation under control.
NIGERIAN OBSERVER however learnt that despite the efforts by security personnel to restore normalcy, an uneasy atmosphere persisted in the community by Monday evening as residents were scare stiff over possible reprisal attacks with the fall of night.
Delta Stats Police Command spokeswoman, Mrs Celestina Kalu (DSP), confirmed the incident, saying the police were on the trail of the criminals who were at large.
“‎Unfortunately, the killers escaped before Police arrived”, Mrs Klu said, adding, “Expended shell of ammunition were recovered. Our crack team is on the trail of the killers to unravel the motive of the killing”.