Gunmen, in their numbers on Saturday night, at about 10:00p.m., assassinated the Imo State chairman of the National Association of Traders (NANTS), Prince Chibueze Ofoduru.
Ofoduru, a six -footer, who hailed from a royal family in Isiala Mbano local council of Imo State, was said to be returning from a national meeting of the association in Asaba, Delta state, and was just a stone throw to his home in Umuguma axis of World Bank, Owerri West local council.
A gang of assassins laying in wait for him accosted him and immediately pumped bullets into his body, without removing anything from him or the new vehicle he was driving. His body has since been deposited in a morgue in Owerri, the capital city of Imo State.
The late Ofoduru was said to have inherited his father’s business of distributorship and wholesale sales of consumables such as juices, drinks, noodles, beverages, among others, located on the ever-busy Rotibi Street, off Douglas Road, Owerri.
The Imo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said the hoodlums fired several shots at close range into the victim’s body, leading to his instant death. He disclosed that the police had launched an aggressive investigation into the ugly incident.
When contacted, the president of NANTS, Kenneth Ukaoha, a lawyer, said he was shocked beyond words to comment.
Ukaoha confirmed that the association held a meeting in Asaba, in which the deceased attended, adding that he was bothered when he called him about the period to know if he was back home but there was no response and he didn’t reply his text message, which was unusual of the deceased.
The NANTS boss disclosed that the association had kept a hotel reservation for him to sleep till the morning, but the late Ofoduru said he had another meeting to attend in Owerri, which made him insist on returning the same day.
“We attended the same meeting with him in Asaba. As I am talking to you now, I am just returning from Asaba to Abuja. He said he had a meeting in Owerri and left. There was a reservation for him to sleep in Asaba. I called him, sent text message but, unlike him, there was no reply.”
