Ex-Bayelsa PDP Chairman Assassinated in Yenagoa

Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa

A former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Mr. Christopher Hobobo, was in the early hours of wednesday assassinated by unidentified gunmen in his home in Biogbolo, Yenagoa, capital of the state.

It wasn’t clear the motive behind the killing of Hobobo, who hails from Agbere town in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state, but THISDAY learnt that nothing was taken away from his house after the operation.

The politician was stabbed several times on the chest area bordering the stomach, piercing directly into his vital organs. He was said to have bled to death before help could come.

The deceased‘s murder is coming less than one month after a similar assassination of a Yenagoa-based journalist, Famous Giobaro, who was killed in his house around INEC road in Kpansia area of the state capital.
Hobobo’s gate was pulled down by the assailants before gaining access into his sitting room, where they attacked him, just after he left his room to ascertain what was going on in the parlour of his house.

Family, relatives and friends thronged the house of the former Vice Chairman of Bayelsa West senatorial zone, as early as 7a.m. and later invited the police who took away the politician’s remains.
The Divisional Police Officer, Ekeki Division, led the team that removed the corpse which was deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa morgue.

A member of the family, John Gidi, said he was not aware that the deceased had any issues with anybody, stressing that he was an easy-going gentleman.
“The family is sad. He was somebody that didn’t have any problem with anybody. Even his neighbours here can testify. I don’t just know what to say,” said Gidi.
A cousin of the deceased, Desi Tambrebofa , expressed shock, saying that he got a sudden phone call that morning about the death of the man.

“This is shocking. Somebody called to say that assassins have killed my cousin. So, I rushed here to confirm. That was how we invited the police,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa, Mr Asuquo Amba, who visited the scene with some of his men said the police were following some leads which would lead to the unravelling of Hobobo’s killers.

“We had arrested some cultists and kidnappers and are investigating the case of the lady that was recently murdered and now we got the information that somebody was stabbed in his house.

“I went to the scene. The area is quite inaccessible and there are clusters of houses there. They went there and forced the burglary open. The victim was stabbed twice on the chest.

“They wanted to make sure he was dead. The public should not take laws into their hands. We are linking up certain leads. And we will let you know when we arrive at something. But I assure you we will get them,” Amba vowed.

He said the issue might not be assassination but murder, but added that nothing was taken from the scene, including his wallet.

However, it was learnt that the security agencies are working on the template that those who killed the politician were insiders who operated from within the compound before fleeing.