ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Former Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and Bayelsa State governorship hopeful on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ebegha Tarelayefa, have condemned the murder of an APC chieftain, Sunday Frank-Oputu.
Frank-Oputu was on Wednesday morning assassinated by yet-to-be-identified gunmen at his Bay-Bridge residence in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The assassins shot him dead while asleep through his bedroom window which he had allegedly opened to get fresh breeze because there was no light in the neighbourhood on the fateful day.
Speaking on the gruesome murder of Frank-Oputu, Lokpobiri described the gory killing “as one too many”, saying that the killing was barbaric, primitive and an act of cowardice.
He also described the late Frank-Oputu as a man known for peace and was shocked to hear that his life was cut short by assailants under questionable circumstances
While he comisserated with the family of the deceased, the people of Igbomotoru community of Bomo Clan and the entire Southern Ijaw Local Government Area for the irreparable loss, Lokpobiri called on the security agencies to carry out thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Also condemning the murder of the APC chieftain, Mr Ebegha Tarelayefa, expressed sadness over the killing, saying the state was tired of unresolved murders.
He said the recent brutal killing of Frank-Oputu in his sleep at his residence in Yenagoa, the state capital, must be subjected to thorough investigations.
Tarelayefa urged the state government and security agencies, especially the police, to use the case of Frank-Oputu as a test case that they had woken up from their slumber.
Describing the assassination of the APC chieftain as one too many, the aspirant said such incidents had become a recurring decimal because perpetrators were not found and brought to book.
Tarelayefa condemned the resurgence of violence in Bayelsa, saying it was time the state government rejigged its security architecture.
The governorship hopeful, who commisearted with the family of the deceased Frank-Oputu and the entire APC family, said it was high time the opposition party put its house in order in the state.
He called for a true reconciliation of aggrieved APC members in Bayelsa, insisting that to win the forthcoming election, the party must embrace peace and unity.
He said: “It is with a heavy heart that I received the brutal murder of one of our outspoken party leaders, Sunday Frank-Oputu Oputu. The assassination is one too many in our dear state Bayelsa.
“We have had many unresolved killings in this state and this trend has continued because the perpetrators are never found and brought to book.
“I, hereby, challenge the state government and security agencies in Bayelsa to use the case of Frank-Oputu as a wake-up call. For the first time, let us unmask the killers and bring them to justice. Frank-Oputu Oputu must not die in vain.
“While I commiserate with the family of the deceased and the APC, I call on our party members to bury their hatchet, unite and work for peace and progress.”