By Omolara Akintoye
The widow of a businessman and father of four – Samuel Okere, who was killed by gunmen on Saturday night, 26th October, 2024 has been narrating how her husband was killed by gunmen yet to be identified.
The gunmen suspected to be kidnappers also abducted one Sunny Onuenze a businessman and shot dead Samuel Okere, at an estate in Army range axis of Igbo-Etche in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.
We gathered that the kidnapped victim,Mr Onuenze deals on scrap metals in Mile building material market while Mr Okere the dead victim is a generator mechanic who hails from Ofeh community in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State.
In a telephone interview with Journalists, Mrs Peace Ulaku Samuel, wife of the dead victim, Samuel Okere said ‘He came back and I told him to pump water at about 7pm, is getting dark small.After pumping water,he put off the generator.Without wearing clothe,he told me that let him just walk round.He told one of the kids to put water for him in the bathroom that he is coming”
Speaks further “So is not up to five minutes, I heard a gunshot, I wondered what happened. Not even in that our street, the next street, I heard another gun shot. I told my children let us enter inside may be your daddy is hiding wherever he is because of the gunshot, let us enter inside, he will come back.
“So I started calling his line, at that initial time, the line was ringing but no body picked. More than six to seven times the phone was ringing without picking. My own thought was that he didn’t want to pick as he is hiding so that nobody will hear him.
“So later, I heard they kidnap one of our neighbours. Later everybody started coming out, all the landlords. .I came out again but i did not see my husband.
“So I started telling them I have not seen my husband, being the landlord, everybody said he will come back. So the woman who they kidnapped her husband was crying that they have kidnapped her husband .
“I was waiting for him with the kids.I stayed till past 12am.One landlord now called me that I should enter inside that my husband will come back in the morning.
“So when I enter it was not up to to one hour I heard dog backing seriously,our neighbour’s dog,two of the dogs.I thought he is coming back,secondly I said who know whether this man is still alive,whether they want to bring his corpse in his house and run away.I peeped through window if i will see my husband,I did not see him and went back to the room.
“About past 5am the following morning, I called my sister who is staying with us and the children to wake up, that am I not comfortable that their daddy has not come back, let’s go and look for your daddy.
“So we started looking for him near our house,look round we did not see him.The next plot of land was close to us, we now enter there, is not really bush,is farm they farm there,we now saw his corpse.That is how we saw his corpse.
“That night Igwuruta Police Division came and now noticed that, that our side is under Etche division, they said is under Etche. I don’t know really if Etche Division came later”.
We gathered that the incident was later reported to Umuebule Police Division in Igbo-Etche in charge of the area and the corpse of the deceased was taken to an undisclosed mortuary in his Place, Omuma LGA.
The Rivers State Police Command was yet to respond to enquires by our reporter on the incident.
As at press time we gathered that the suspected kidnappers had established contact with the family of the kidnapped victim, Mr Sunny Onuenze.
“If is possible to know those that shot him, so that we know what to do about it because the kids are still small only me cannot train the four kids and only me”
