THE VIOLENT death of an Eastbourne lawyer and human rights activist in Nigeria has prompted a major political war of words in the country.

Ken Atsuete, who lived and attended church in Sussex, was gunned down in Southern Nigeria in the evening of Sunday August 28.

The killing in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State in the Niger Delta region of the country has seen the African country’s two largest political parties exchange claims of blame, according to reports in the Nigerian press.

It has also generated an outpouring of grief closer to home, among the church community in Eastbourne where Mr Atsuete lived with his wife and children.

A spokesman for Rivers State Police confirmed to The Argus that according to the findings of the initial investigation Mr Atsuete was killed when he went to the aid of a neighbour.

According to a reports online - confirmed to The Argus as accurate by Nigerian police - Police Public Relations Officer Omoni Nnamdi said investigators believe the killing was not premeditated.

Mr Nnamdi said: “Ken Atsuete’s neighbour, Pastor Abba Emmanuel, was abducted on Sunday by unknown gunmen at his gate at Aluu.

“But the pastor later that night escaped from his abductors and called his family.

“As the only man in the yard, Atsuete decided to accompany Abba Emmanuel’s wife at about 5am to pick up the pastor.

“It was in this process that Atsuete was shot in his car.”

Mr Atsuete had been acting for the recently-formed All Progressives Congress party for a forthcoming election-result lawsuit against the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the state chairman of APC, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, accused the PDP of plotting the assassination of Barrister Ken Atsuete, "a well known fiery critic of the administration and defender of Rivers State APC”.

Mr Atsuete had visited Kings Church in Eastbourne several times and was known to some of the congregation.

Steve Blaber of the church said, “He was a lovely man with a lovely family.

““It has come as a huge shock. “He was a man of great integrity, a very highly respected lawyer in Nigeria.”

A PDP spokesman said investigators should be allowed to get on with their enquiries.

He further said it was wrong for anybody to politicise the killing of a young lawyer without minding the pain and anguish being suffered by the family of the deceased.