BREAKING: Traditional Ruler And Community Chairman Assassinated In Bayelsa By Suspected Crude Oil Thieves (Graphic Pictures)

 The paramount ruler of Kalaba community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Francis Kolubo, and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Samuel Oburo have been murdered by yet to be identified gunmen.

Exola TV reports that the armed men suspected to be crude oil thieves killed the king and community chairman for not being at home with their move to set up a bunkering camp in the community.

Community sources who spoke to Nigerian Tribune, said the traditional ruler was abducted from his palace on Sunday, June 19, to an unknown destination where he was murdered, while the CDC chairman was dragged out of his house and brutally killed in his backyard.

The source further said trouble began when a popular crude oil bunkering Marchant who hails from the community mobilized his group to set up a crude oil bunkering camp in the bushes bordering Kalaba and Ikarama community sometime early this year, but the plan by the crude oil bunkering Merchant was fiercely resisted by the deceased monarch and CDC chairman, as they believed that any attempt to disrupt the activities of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) would hinder the development of the community.

READ ALSO: Secondary School Reportedly Expels Students For Protesting Insufficient Laboratory Equipment

It was when their plan did not come to fruition, the merchant and his gang allegedly began to destroy pipelines in the area in order to secure a surveillance contract from NAOC, which they secured afterwards.

The source further hinted that the deceased monarch and the CDC chairman, having being aware of the nefarious activities of the Merchant and his gang, exposed the gang of crude oil thieves and took over the surveillance contract.

"When that happened, the gang started planning to kill our monarch and CDC chairman. In the process, a woman overheard them plotting the murder and gave them the information but they laughed it off and did nothing about it," the source said.

"So, on Monday, the community woke up to the story that our paramount ruler has been kidnapped by some gunmen at about 3 am in his palace. We were all shocked and confused about what may have led to his abduction,"

"That same day, the CDC chairman travelled to Yenagoa, the State Capital, to officially report the incident to the Police. While he was there, information came to some members of the community that the gang saw the CDC chairman in Yenagoa while he was reporting the incident to the Police and that they have sent some gunmen to lay ambush at his house,"

"When he drove into town, he was informed about this plot and advised not to enter the community but he refused. He said no harm will come to him. As he drove into the community, a popular Pastor stopped him along the road and pleaded with him to take a back road that would lead him out of the community,"

"This time he still refused to take the advice. Just as the gang had planned, the moment he got to his house about 7 pm, some men armed with guns and Matchette came out from hiding and dragged him to his backyard where they murdered him,” our source explained.

After the killing of the CDC chairman, the killer gang sent a message to the community that the monarch has been gruesomely murdered and gave them directions to where they could recover the corpse, it was gathered.