Nigerian Opposition Official Killed

By GILBERT Da COSTA
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 5, 2003; 1:08 PM

A senior member of Nigeria's main opposition party was shot and killed Wednesday by gunmen who broke into his home in the capital, relatives and police said.

Opposition officials blamed President Olusegun Obasanjo's party for the slaying. Ruling party officials denied it.

Marshall Harry was shot at close range in his bedroom in a suburb of Abuja by one of five gunmen who broke in after scaling a low fence around the house, family members said.

The attackers subdued and tied up several security guards before breaking into Harry's room. The men shot him twice and took some money before fleeing, the victim's 17-year-old niece Loliwa Harry told The Associated Press. She was in another part of the house at the time.

Harry was rushed to a hospital, where he died of his wounds.

Harry's All Nigeria People's Party filed a police affidavit blaming Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party for the killing.

Ruling party spokesman Venatius Ikem said, "We're not responsible and we are condemning the killing."

Harry, a former official in Obasanjo's ruling party, left the party last year to head the presidential campaign of opposition leader and former military leader Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

Two politicians were shot and killed last month in Nigeria's southeast, raising fears of more violence ahead of April 19 presidential elections pitting Buhari against Obasanjo. Obasanjo was first elected in 1999 following 15 years of military rule.