Traditional Ruler, Chairman assassinated in Bayelsa

Following their abduction, the paramount ruler of Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Francis Kolubo, and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Samuel Oburo have been killed by gunmen.

According to reports, the men were murdered for reportedly going against their plan to set up a bunkering camp in the community.

Sources from the community who spoke to Nigerian Tribune, said the traditional ruler was abducted from his palace on Sunday, June 19, to an unknown destination where he was murdered, while the CDC chairman was dragged out of his house and brutally killed in his backyard.

It was learnt that trouble began when a popular crude oil bunkering Marchant who hails from the community mobilized his group to set up a crude oil bunkering camp in the bushes bordering Kalaba and Ikarama community sometime early this year.

Tribune Online gathered that the plan by the crude oil bunkering Merchant was fiercely resisted by the deceased monarch and CDC chairman, on the grounds that any attempt to disrupt the activities of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) would hinder the development of the community.

A source further noted that when their initial plan failed to materialise, the merchant and his gang allegedly began to destroy pipelines in the area in order to secure a surveillance contract from NAOC, which they secured afterwards.

According to the source, being aware of the nefarious activities of the Merchant and his gang, the deceased monarch and CDC chairman allegedly exposed the gang of crude oil thieves and took over the surveillance contract.

“When that happened, the gang started planning to kill our monarch and CDC chairman. In the process, a woman overheard them plotting the murder and gave them the information but they laughed it off and did nothing about it,” the source said.

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