Gunmen kill ex-NYSC member, UNIPORT student, 1 other

 An ex member of the National Youth Service Corps, an undergraduate of the University of Port Harcourt and a young woman were attacked and shot dead by unknown gunmen in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State, on Thursday.

The incident, which took place at Rumuotakara, near the campus of UNIPORT in the Choba area, is coming on the heels of the gruesome murder of four undergraduates of the university on Oct. 5, 2012.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the former corps member, who had passed out on Thursday after completing the compulsory National Youth Service, was celebrating with his friends when the car conveying them suddenly skidded off the road and ran into a shop.

Although no life was lost in the crash, an argument was said to have ensued between the owner of the shop and the occupants of the car.

At that point, a group of men appeared on the scene in a Sport Utility Vehicle and opened fire on the ex corps member and his companions.

“The corps member and his friends were drunk while driving and their vehicle ran into a shop. There was a serious argument between them and the owner of the shop.

“Within a short time, a group of men in an SUV came out and opened fire on the three persons, who died on the spot. The gunmen immediately drove away without any challenge,” an eyewitness told our correspondent.

However, the names of those killed by the gunmen could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.

In his reaction to the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ben Ugwuegbulam, said security agencies had begun investigations into the matter.

Ugwuegbulam, who stated that the incident occurred around 9.30 pm, said that those behind the killing of the ex-corps member, UNIPORT student and one other person would be apprehended and brought to book.