Witnesses said about seven armed men arrived in two vehicles, approached Azuazu and ordered him into one of the cars.
Gunmen suspected to be cultists have brutally killed the President of the Omoku Youth Federation, Comrade Ifeanyi Azuazu, and his personal aide, Chigozie Oluwu, in Omoku, located in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The attack occurred on Thursday evening around 6pm at a popular drinking spot along Ogolo Street, off Palace Road in Omoku town.
Witnesses said about seven armed men arrived in two vehicles, approached Azuazu and ordered him into one of the cars.
When Oluwu tried to intervene, he was shot and killed on the spot, while Azuazu was abducted by the assailants.
The sudden violence caused panic among residents and passersby, prompting many to flee and business owners to quickly shut their shops.
Hours after the abduction, members of a local vigilante group found the headless body of Azuazu in a forest near the community on Friday afternoon.
The Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Security and Planning Advisory Committee (OSPAC) confirmed the killings and condemned the attack. OSPAC urged calm and called on security agencies to investigate.
OSPAC’s Public Relations Officer, Godnews Nkem, said, “Chigozie was shot dead by the gunmen before they abducted Ifeanyi Azuazu.
“Based on intelligence reports and the effectiveness of OSPAC security, we recovered the lifeless and headless body of Ifeanyi Azuazu in the bush.”
While condemning the attack, OSPAC advised residents to remain calm and allow the police, the Department of State Services, and other security agencies to carry out investigations.
The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, describing it as cult-related.
She said, “Yes, I can confirm the incident. It was cult-related. The cultists invaded the area, shot one dead, and kidnapped the youth president. Unfortunately, the headless body of the youth president was discovered today (Friday).
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale investigation to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure they face the law.”