Facts have emerged on why a member of the Ughelli Vigilante Group, Mr Lucky Ighowhare, was shot in the presence of his children.
Two others, Onome Oyibo, who was shot at the Ughelli main market, and Mr. Nathaniel Ogra, who succumbed to gunshot wounds at Ughelli Central Hospital, have lost their lives amid the ongoing tensions.
Mr Ighowhare, 58, affectionately known as “Thunder,” was attacked while at home with his wife and children, preparing to have dinner around 10 p.m.
Eyewitnesses report that a group of youths from a rival community stormed his residence on Sam-Oteri Street and opened fire at his doorstep.
The killing may be linked to the conflict over control of revenue from the Ughelli main market in the Ughelli North local government area, Delta State.
According to sources, the incident was chaotic, with gunfire causing residents to flee in fear while Mr. Ighowhare was left in a pool of blood.
One witness described the scene, noting that Mr. Ighowhare was sitting with his family, waiting for their meal to finish warming when the shooting occurred.
In response to the violence, the Ughelli main market has been temporarily closed, and community leadership has remained silent regarding the situation.
Security checkpoints have been established around the market area to prevent further conflict.
At the time of this report, the bodies of the victims are being held at the morgue of Ughelli Central Hospital.
The killing of Ighowhare marked the third fatality in recent violence between the two communities, raising fears of possible retaliatory attacks between the Otor-Iwhreko and Ekiugbo communities, who are in a conflict over market revenue control.