THURSDAY: 16th September, 2021: There was confusion in Imo State on Thursday after news broke that fleeing gunmen suspected to be assailants had killed a lawyer, Darlington Odume.
Odume, also known as Omekagu, was shot at a supermarket at Amaifeke in Orlu, in the Orlu Local Government Area of the state.
The murder came just 24 hours after hoodlums murdered the priest-in-charge of St Andrew’s Anglican Church Ihitte-Ukwa in Orlu LGA, Emeka Merenu.
Odume, who was a native of Umudara village in Amaifeke- Orlu, was called to the Nigerian Bar Association, five years ago.
Our correspondent gathered that the the murdered lawyer, who had his chamber in Orlu town, was handling some of the cases of those arrested in connection with the violence rocking the area.
According to the source, the victim, who was rushed to a hospital in the area but was rejected and referred to the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, died on the way to the teaching hospital.
“They stormed a supermarket at Umudara Amaifeke, Orlu and shot him on the chest and zoomed off.
“He was rushed to a hospital in the area, but they rejected him, referring them to the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, but he died along the way.
“Omekagu was handling some of the cases of those arrested and believed to be innocent due to the violence in Orlu. His wife is a Police officer.
“The entire community has been thrown into mourning. His wife is a serving Police officer. This is very unfortunate,” the source said.
Precious Nwadike,the Interim Committee chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, who hails from Orlu, confirmed the assassination of the lawyer to our correspondent.
The Police spokesperson for the state, Michael Abattam, also confirmed the killing and added that the state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, had ordered a holistic investigation into the incident.
