UPDATED 1: Another Nigerian Journalist Killed

PHOTO: THE LATE EDO EGBAGWU. IMAGE: THE NATION.

San Francisco, April 25, (THEWILL) – Mr. Edo Sule Egbagwu, a Judiciary Correspondent for The Nation Newspaper, a Lagos based Nigerian daily, was murdered early last night (Saturday) at his residence along Church Street, in Sasha, Akowonjo, near Egbeda, Lagos by suspected gunmen.

Though no one has spoken on the motive for his murder, Edo was said to have been murdered at about 7.pm. He was shot in the head from close range.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba has visited the scene of the crime and said police will investigate the murder.

Edo’s younger brother, Okloho, later narrated how Edo was murdered by two gunmen. He said two gunmen carrying an AK47 riffle and a pistol stormed their house and held him (Okholo) hostage and demanded for cash.

Edo, who was outside at this time, walked into the house and saw the gunmen holding his brother hostage. Infuriated by what he saw, he demanded that they leave immediately and when they refused, a tussle ensued between them and in the commotion, one of them shot him in the head. He died on the spot.

"It was about 6.30pm, on Saturday, I was in my room when I heard voices down stairs, I thought it was my elder brother who had told me that he was going out with his wife some few minutes earlier, but I was surprised when the men I saw in the parlour (living room) demanded for cash, they said ‘where is the money, where is the money.’ I said I do not know anything about any money, as we were arguing, my elder brother walked into the house, and saw them pointing a gun at me, he demanded to know what the whole thing was about and they told him that they want money. "

Continuing Okholo said, "He got angry and asked them to get out, he walked towards them and kept saying ‘get out, get out'; a tussle ensued between him and the men and that was how one of them shot him in the head.

"He just slumped. The gunmen walked up to me and started shooting at things around me, but none of the bullets hit me, they dragged and pushed me into my room and locked me up, that was all I heard about them."

Edo’s wife, who was with him earlier, was heartbroken and distraught while she managed to give her own side of the story. She said, "I was going out with my husband, when he received a call, he told me that he had to go back to the house, I was still waiting for him outside, when I started hearing gun shots, when I went into the house, I saw my husband's lifeless body, they should have killed me too, why, oh why, did they not kill me with my husband?"

Edo Ugbagwu, 42, hailed from Idoma, Benue State.

Reacting to Edo’s murder, his employer, Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation Newspaper, in a statement urged the police ‘to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act.’

"We urge the police to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act," it said. The company also sent its condolences the family of the late journalist.

"We condole with them and pray to God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss. May Mr. Ugbagwu's soul rest in peace."

Late Edo Ugbagwu is survived by his wife, five siblings and an aged mother.

His body has been taken to a government owned hospital morgue in the area.