Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri
Pandemonium broke out on the ever busy Wethedral roundabout, Thursday in Owerri, the Imo State capital as gunmen shot dead a yet-to-be-identified man, carting away an undisclosed sum of money from him.
This was even as suspected students cultists at the wee hours of yesterday shot dead a fresh graduate of political science and public Administration of the Imo State University, Owerri, Emeka Ndubueze.
Vehicle users were at the traffic light point, waiting for the signal to go, when people heard sporadic gun shots in front of the Government House, where the State headquarters of the Police command is situated.
Out of nowhere, gun men numbering about four in a black painted car stopped beside the jeep vehicle and demanded that the man in the vehicle give them the just money he had withdrawn from the bank.
Following the initial resistance, the gunmen shot severally at the car owner, collected the supposed bag of money, and drove off.
The operation lasted for just less than three minutes, just in front the traffic wardens who scampered for safety on hearing the gunshots.
Vehicle users had alighted from their cars and lain flat on the road to avoid falling victim of the stray bullets.
Our correspondent gathered that the man who was fatally injured was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he later gave up the ghost.
It was gathered that the injured man had just withdrawn money at GTbank on Wethedral Road and upon suspicion that he was trailed, he immediately entered a car driven by a woman.
However the gunmen double-crossed the woman, pushed her out and shot the yet-to-be-identified man severally.
This incident is coming barely a month that gunmen attacked a customer in front of Access Bank on the same road, carted away his money and left bank workers and customers injured. One of the robbers was killed in that attack.
Meanwhile, at IMSU, the slain graduate, Ndubueze, popularly known as Jayboy was a 22 year old 2016 graduate of the University who hailed from Amaigbo in the Nwangele Local Government Area of the state who was waiting for his call-up for this year’s National Youth Service corps program.
Our correspondent learnt that he was shot dead around 10:30 pm by unidentified cultists operating on the campus.
His killing, sources said took place around Davida Hostel situated on Aladinma Street, popularly known as IMSU back gate.
Students who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent on Thursday that the deceased was apparently the target of his killers as they came directly to him shot him on the chest repeatedly and took to their heels.
They said that the killing might not be unconnected with the inter cult war currently raging on the campus between Aye and Baga confraternities which had consumed the lives of some students
They decried the killings, saying that the situation was putting their lives and academic pursuits in jeopardy, especially now they were sitting for the first semester examinations. They called on the school management to tighten security.
When contacted, the IMSU Public Relations Officer, Obi Njoku, confirmed the killing of the student whom he said was a fresh graduate of the University and assured that the management was working hard to bring the killers to justice.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Andrew Enwerem, a deputy superintendent of Police said he had yet to be briefed.