Amaechi’s uncle hacked to death

An uncle of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has been hacked to death by unknown people at his Ubima farm in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

Mr.  Sabinus Ordu was, until his death,   vice principal  of Community Secondary School (CSS), Aluu in  the same Ikwerre LGA.

His son,  Collins,described him  as an easygoing civil servant.

 The State Commissioner for Health. Dr. Sampson Parker has however escaped an alleged attmpt on his life while on an Ebola sensitization at Abua Central  in Abua/Odual Local Government area.

The state  government expressed concern over Mr. Ordu’s murder, describing it as an ominous sign ahead of next year’s election.

It called for police probe of the attempt on Parker’s life.

 It was  gathered  that  Ordu, who is survived by  a wife and children , left for the farm on his motorcycle soon after returning from school on Monday afternoon, to check his traps.

His family became apprehensive when he failed to return home by 8pm.

A search party that was immediately  raised to trace him found him in a pool of his blood.

Nothing, including his motorcycle was taken from him.

Ordu’s family  promptly reported the assassination at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Elele.

Information and Communications Commissioner  Ibim Semenitari told reporters yesterday  that while the state government would not jump to conclusion on the matter “his crime is that he was related to Amaechi.”

 She said: “The late Ordu was a peace-loving, simple and hardworking Rivers man, who was not greedy, and was not running after contracts, but focusing on teaching and hunting/farming after the working hours. His crime is that he was related to Amaechi.

“We cannot just understand why anyone would kill a civil servant, who was trying to earn a living. We are not apportioning blame, but the police in Rivers State should leave no stone unturned and bring the killers to book, to serve as a deterrent to others. It must not go down as mystery killing.

“It was a very grievous crime committed against an innocent man. The Rivers State Government will continue to resist the killing of the peace-loving people of the state. Only God gives life and can take it.

 “We are not willing to cast aspersion. We hope the murder was not politically-motivated. It is curious that the late Ordu could be so murdered in cold blood, with many machete cuts on his body. Every indication points to the fact that it might be politically motivated, but police should resolve the mystery.”

 The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muhammad Kidaya Ahmad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), yesterday confirmed Ordu’s assassination and said the command was “doing everything possible to ensure that those behind the dastardly act are apprehended.”

He said he had not  “established that the deceased was related to Governor Amaechi.”

 Speaking separately to reporters, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha alleged that  political thugs  fired gun shots at the Ebola enlightenment team, led by Parker, at Abua Central.

He said: “Parker, who was on tour of the 23 LGAs of the state, on an Ebola Virus Disease’s (EVD’s) enlightenment campaign, witnessed a horrifying scene at Abua Central, as gunmen believed to have been hired by a political group championing the governorship ambition of a serving minister, freely fired AK-47 rifles at the crowd that gathered to receive the Health Commissioner and his team.

 “We are alarmed about the desperation of politicians, who will stop at nothing to secure political positions. We are surprised that a people-oriented programme, that was designed to protect the people from a deadly health hazard, like the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), could be disrupted by a group, because they had guns.

The Rivers PPRO also stated that the Abua incident was being investigated by the command, while describing the state as peaceful, with crime reduced to the barest minimum