Guardian Editor killed in cold blood
The News Editor of Guardian Newspaper, Mr Bayo Ohu has been murdered by assailants in what looked like a contracted murder mission.
Mr Ohu’s life was cut short on the early hours of Sunday when assailants visited his Akowonjo home, in Lagos state of Nigeria, knocked on his house door and shot him at point blank range. Only his personal laptop computer was taken away.
Until his death, Mr Ohu also headed the Political Desk of The Guardian Newspapers in Nigeria. He has been described as a loyal and consistent journalist.
Mr Ohu’s death has left a big riddle for the Nigerian police as a similar murder of another journalist which occurred last year is yet to be unraveled.
Abayomi Ogundeji, a journalist with Thisday Newspaper was murdered last year coincidentally within the same vicinity Bayo Ohu was killed. Only it was not clear if Ogundeji also resides in the same area.
According to reports, a six-man gang had invaded the home of the journalist at exactly 7.00 am on Sunday morning demanding to see the journalist whose wife had already gone for Sunday morning service. The residence at No. 9 Oyeniji Street, Odukoya Estate, Akowonjo also house his four children but nobody else was armed by the assailant during the visit.
The gang was said to have arrived at the resident driving in a white Toyota Camry, pretending to be casual visitors.
They reportedly double checked and ensured that he was dead before they left, apparently giving way to rumours that the attack was premeditated as either an act of revenge or just a get out of my way contracted murder assignment.They made away only with the journalist’s laptop computer.
Sources informed that the late reporter was at home with his four children when the gunmen arrived at the house.
The late journalist responded to a knock on his doorand as he opened they shot at him immediately.
The 6- gang members, immediately forced their way into the house picking up his laptop and double-checked his body to ensure that he was dead before fleeing in their car.
Spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Frank Mba, who visited the journalist’s home on Sunday, confirmed that the police had begun investigations into the murder.
Reacting to his death, the editor of The Guardian newspaper, Mr. Debo Adeshina, described the death of Ohu as shocking and devastating adding that when he had the news of the newsman having been short at, he rushed to his residence not knowing his condition was very critical.
However, confidence in Nigerian police has been waning in the light of the two murders as journalist union bodies continue to pressurise Nigerian Police (Lagos State Command ) on the need for the security and safety of the public in Lagos state to be guaranteed. However, life of journalists who remain the last hope of the Nigerian populace remain to be in danger in the face of the current murder and the other unsolved case which had given the police much more challenges.
The Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalist has described Ohu’s death as a clear case of murder rather than robbery which is currently being attached to it.They have called upon the presidency to intervene and fish out the culprits of the two murder cases in the spirit of the safety of life of journalists and entire citizens of Nigeria.
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