Unknown gunmen have invaded Ejule in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one of the youth leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abu Jeremiah.
The incident, which was said to have taken place at about 6.00 p.m., on Monday, saw the gunmen, numbering five, invading the compound of the deceased while he was playing game of draught with some of his colleagues.
Eyewitness said the people went straight for the victim as they alighted from a car that took them to the scene and shot him several times while others ran for safety.
They were said to have left the scene immediately they confirmed that Abu was dead.
However, the PDP in the state has blamed the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the death of its members, saying the opposition had been sponsoring violence in the state in the last three months.
The state youth leader of the PDP, Stephen Onoji, who said this in Lokoja, the state capital, while addressing newsmen, alleged that the incident was the second time members of the PDP would be murdered in the state.
He said a similar incident happened in the same local government on June 7, where three members of the party were killed by suspected thugs.
He said efforts to get justice over the matter did not yield any result as the security agencies in the state were yet to make any arrest in connection with the murders.
Onoji, however, said the party would be giving the security agencies 24 hours to arrest the culprits, adding that the killings of the youths of the ruling party in the state must stop or they would have to resort to self defence.
According to him, the administration of the state governor, Idris Wada, had since its inception been trying to stamp out crime from the state, saying the state had witnessed peace until in recent time that political activities are picking up.
But the state chairman of the APC, Alhaji Hadi Ametuo, said he was not aware of any killing by members of the party.
While saying the party should not be linked with criminal activities in the state, he said the incident should be investigated to identify those behind it.
