BREAKING: Kidnapped Nasarawa APC Chair Assassinated

Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr Philip Schekwo, who was reportedly kidnapped last night, has been assassinated.

His lifeless body was reportedly found close to his house a few minutes ago.

Schekwo hailed from Toto local government area of Nasarawa.

He was Commissioner for Commerce and Industries during the first tenure of former Governor Tanko Al-Makura.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, his deputy Dr Emmanuel Akabe as well as the Senator representing Nasarawa south, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura and other government officials have visited the scene of the incident.

More details culled from The Nation (verbatim):

Fresh facts have emerged on how Nasarawa All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Philip Schekwo was kidnapped and assassinated by gunmen.

Sources revealed that the assassins arrived Schekwo’s residence along Kurikyo road near Dunamis church, Bukan Sidi in Lafia around 11pm and started shooting sporadically.

The gunshots woke Schekwo, who sensing danger, made several calls to security agencies without response until he was abducted.

Mr Joseph Gudu, who lives close to the late chairman’s residence, said he monitored the incident from his window.

He said he saw how the gunmen used digger to break the door and windows of the apartment.

“The wife of the late chairman, his children and the chairman himself made several calls across the security agencies in the state but nobody responded.

“They were shouting help, help but no security person came to their aid. The police were not ready to pick their calls

“The operation lasted for about 49 minutes before they gained entrance into the bedroom of the chairman after disarming his security guards and took him away.

“If the police had responded promptly to the calls of the APC chairman, they might have saved his life.

“They took him away with his car key, killed him just a meter away from his house and hung his car key by his lifeless body,” Gudu said.

The corpse of the kidnapped APC chairman was found few meters away from his residence in Bukan Sidi, Lafia.

Police Commissioner Bola Longe, who confirmed the death of Shekwo, said he was found death with wounds of gunshots.

Longe said the circumstances that led to his death proved it was not abduction but murder.

“From what we have seen since yesterday and the intensity of bullet marked on the wall of the house and the forceful gaining of entrance into the house, it was clear it was much more than kidnapping.

“And where we found his body, near his house, normally when kidnapping is carried out it is for profit making.

“But this has shown that within a twinkle of an eye the man was killed, no demand was made whatsoever.

“So I believe it was assassination but that notwithstanding, we are going to carry out exhaustive investigation that will give us a clue to what has actually happened,” he said.