The Vice-Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Samuel Kayode, popularly known as Ekpo Kinkin, has been killed at the Agboju area of Lagos State.
According to reports, Ekpo who was a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress was at a rally organised by the party at Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA) when the gunmen invaded the rally on Thursday and shot him dead.
Eyewitnesses said a gunshot was heard from the crowd outside while the meeting was on, forcing residents involved at the rally to scamper to safety.
When those inside the hall rushed to the scene, Kayode was found in the pool of his blood.
However, NURTW in Lagos State confirmed the incident, noting that the deceased was trying to protect a fellow politician when he was killed.
“He was protecting a fellow politician, Wale Yusuf, from harassment when the gunmen shot him dead,” said Jimoh Buhari, the spokesman for the NURTW Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya.
Kayode was said to have been rushed to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Navy Town, Ojo, where he was confirmed dead.
A member of the party who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed surprise that a bullet in the leg could claim someone’s life.
Explaining what happened, he said, “Ekpo Kinkin was a very popular person in this area. He was shot, right in Oriade LCDA secretariat, close to Agboju police station.
“During the stampede caused by the gunshot, a man suspected to have pulled the trigger was said to have been seen walking casually out of the premises.
“We have lodged a complaint to the Police. We hope they will fish out Ekpo’s killer,” sources stated.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, is yet to react to the ugly incident.
