Gunmen suspected to be cultists on Sunday night shot and killed a man identified as Senitonkumo Otu around the Azikoro-Agbura Road in the Bayelsa State capital city, Yenagoa.

It was gathered that the victim, who was in his 30s and hailed from Oweikorogha community in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, was not the target of the cultists who invaded his neighbourhood in search of a rival.

The gunmen were said to be on a mission for their target whose nickname was given as “Peerooo” before Otu accidentally met them and was shot in the process.

The late Otu, who was popularly called Murphy, was said to be into the installation of suspended ceiling tiles before his gruesome murder.

His landlord, Mr Allen Ofoin, who narrated the incident, described the deceased as “a law-abiding and easy-going person.”

Ofoin said,

“He has been with me for over two years and a half, I don’t see him as a troublesome person. But last night, around 12:17 am, I heard a gunshot. I could not come outside because some boys were making noise shouting,”Aromate”, “Aromate”.

“This morning, we were just contemplating. For some years now, we have not heard gunshots here. Suddenly, neighbours ran to me and said there was a dead person in their compound and I should come and identify the deceased.”

The body of Otu had been deposited at a mortuary.

Two neighbours of the deceased, Pere Tuboebi and Father Dokpere, said that the absence of power supply and police patrols might be the factors that were responsible for the “rising wave of criminal activities in the area.”

A former councillor in the Yenagoa Local Government Council, Amasa Pulovie described the incident as “unfortunate”, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr Asinim Butswat, said he was aware of the incident, but added that he was waiting for details from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Azikoro area.