By Sunday Apah
A member of the Ughelli Vigilante group, Mr. Lucky Ighowhare, was tragically shot and killed on Monday night by suspected youth from the Otor-Iwhreko and Ekiugbo communities, who are engaged in a conflict over control of revenue from the Ughelli main market in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State.
Mr. Ighowhare, 58, affectionately known as ‘Thunder,’ was attacked while he was at home with his wife and children, preparing to have dinner around 10 PM.
Eyewitnesses report that a group of youths from one of the rival communities stormed his residence on Sam-Oteri Street and opened fire at his doorstep.
According to sources, the incident was chaotic, with gunfire causing residents to flee in fear.
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. He was left shirtless and in a pool of his own blood.
The killing of Mr. Ighowhare marks the third fatality in recent violence between the two communities, raising fears of possible retaliatory attacks.
Previously, two other individuals—Mr. Onome Oyibo, who was shot at the Ughelli Main Market, and Mr. Nathaniel Ogra, who succumbed to gunshot wounds at Ughelli Central Hospital—lost their lives amid escalating tensions.
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.
