Chief Frank-Anthony Igboka, former Anambra State Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), has been murdered.
Igboka, who was also the President-General of the Nimo Town Development Union (NTDU) in Njioka Local Government Area of the state, was shot multiple times at close range in his car at Oye Nimo Market on Tuesday, with Police subsequently recovering 25 bullets from the scene.
The gunmen trailed Igboka in a Hilux truck as he drove himself through the community’s market square, before shooting him when they caught up with him.
Haruna Mohammed, spokesman of the Anambra State Police Command, confirmed the killing, saying investigations had been opened into the matter.
“At about 8:18 pm of today 16/4/2019 there was a sporadic gunshot around Nimo market in Njikoka LGA of Anambra state,” he said in a statement.
“Police patrol team attached to Nimo division rushed to the scene and discovered one Chief Frank Anthony Igboka on the driver’s seat of his Chevrolet SUV vehicle lying unconscious in a pool of his blood and his body was riddled with bullet wounds.
“The victim was rushed to Beke hospital Nimo where he was confirmed dead by the medical doctor; his corpse has been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.”
He said preliminary investigations revealed that victim was shot at close range by four armed men who escaped in a pickup van towards Abacha Eziowelle road, while 25 expended ammunition of 7.62 mm ammunition were recovered at the scene.
The late Igboka is a former member of the Anambra State House of Assembly. Only in January, he bagged the award of ‘Hero of Njikoka’ at a colourful ceremony at the Njikoka Local Government Secretariat, Abagana.