Gunmen kill human rights lawyer, Atsuwete, in Rivers

*Don’t politicise criminality— PDP

 *Killing politically motivated —APC, Dakuku 

 PORT HARCOURT—A laywer activist in Rivers State, Barr. Ken Atsuwete, was yesterday assassinated in Aluu community, Ikwerre local government by unknown gunmen.

Late Barr. Ken Atsuwete.

Vanguard learned that the assailants, who stormed his residence in Omoku-Aluu community in two motorcycles and a vehicle reportedly whisked him away in the presence of his wife, Mrs Witney Atsuwete and their three children.

 Vanguard also gathered that the gunmen that invaded Atswete‘s home had earlier abducted his tenant, Mr. Emmanuel Abah.

 Meanwhile, reactions have been pouring in over the death of the lawyer with the All Progressive Congress, APC, describing the incident as the deadliest politically motivated killing that has taken place in Rivers State in recent times.

 Don’t politicise criminality —Rivers Govt

 But in a swift reaction to the allegation of the APC, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, said the party should not politicise criminality. “The APC should not politicise criminality. 

They should allow the Police to determine the circumstances of the death of Bar. Ken Atsuwete. It is irresponsible of the APC to trivialise a serious issue as this. “We condemn the killing and urge the Police to get to the root of it to unravel those behind it.” 

Also reacting to the incident, Mr Anyakwee Nsirimovu, Executive Director, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, a Non-Governmental Organisation, NGO, described Atsuwete‘s death as shocking. “A fearless human rights lawyer, a man who worked hard and hated injustice at any level, has been killed by unknown assailants.

 “To us in the human rights world, it is an attempt to silence speech. Let the truth be told, nobody can kill speech because it is a critical ingredient of a viable democracy,” he said. Meanwhile, the late lawyer’s tenant, Abah, who was still in shock over the death confirmed to Vanguard that he was first kidnapped by the hoodlums, who mistook him for the late Atsuwete, on his way back from the church in company of his wife around 8.pm and was taken to an unknown destination, leaving behind his wife.

 Abah narrates ordeal

 Abah said: “On Sunday evening, around 8p.m, I was on my way back from the church with my wife when two young men stopped us in front of the gate.

 “The boys came on a motorcycle. They asked me to open the gate, when I refused they asked my wife to lie down. Immediately my wife obeyed, they pointed a gun at me and asked me to climb the motorcycle before they drove off.

 “They took me into the bush that night and they started interrogating me. They asked me my name, I told them, they asked me my work, I told them. “After much interrogation that night, they asked me to go. So I called my wife that they have released me.

 “My wife said when I called that night that Atsuwete’s wife asked her not to come out that night. This morning, around 5.am, Atsuwete himself took my wife in his car to come and pick me. As they came out from the gate the boys accosted him and shot him and ran away.

 “My wife started shouting for help before some people came out and he was rushed to the hospital where he later died.” It was further gathered that Atsuwete had just brought in his family from the US last week before he was assassinated.

 Atsuwete’s last assignments

 Recall that Atsuwete was the leader of the defence counsel to the former local government chairman of Asari-Toru, Mr. Ojukaye Amachree, who is facing a murder charge and he was also in charge of the case of the sacked 22 local government chairmen elected under the APC in Rivers State. 

Police When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said the police were aware, adding that investigations had commenced.

 Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in Rivers State and Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has described the killing as the deadliest politically motivated killing that has taken place in Rivers State in recent times. In a statement, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, the Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Chris Finebone bemoaned over the security structure in the state.

 Finebone in the statement urged the security operatives to fish out and punish the killers of the human lawyer. Finebone said: “We of the APC have been labelled as prophets of doom for telling the world that the Wike government in Rivers State is the architect of the insecurity that is ravaging the state. 

They stage-manage private conferences at huge costs to the Rivers taxpayer just to show that there is peace in the state. “Just a few days ago, the NBA held its 56th Annual Conference here in Port Harcourt at a humongous cost to the taxpayer. 

Today, Barr. Ken Atsuwete, was gunned down in his home by assassins. “They first of all took someone in the same building last night and realizing they had a wrong customer, they let the fellow go while they returned at about 5. am to snuff life out of Barr. Ken Atsuwete.

 “The APC believes that this killing was political motivated because Barr. Ken Atsuwete was a leading counsel to APC chieftain, Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, who is being persecuted by the Wike administration in Rivers State.

 Dakuku condemns killing 

Dr. Dakuku Peterside on his part, said the killing of Atsuwete was driven by the insidious objective of instilling fears in the rank of the opposition in the state.

 His words: “I condemn in strong terms the barbaric, nasty and heinous assassination of Barr. Ken Atsuwete in Port Harcourt, Rivers State today. Ken Atsuwete was a prominent human rights activist, political commentator, fiery critic of bad governance, citizen activist and most recently lawyer to Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, the APC leader held on trumped-up charges.

 “The killing of Ken Atsuwete is perhaps the height of impunity which is now an everyday way of life in my home state of Rivers.” “We call on the Commissioner of Police, the IG and the DG, DSS to leave no stone unturned in unravelling the criminals behind this dastardly act.

 This is one killing too many.”