President of Haiti Jovenal Moise assassinated by gunmen

Tony Nwakaegho with Agency Report

President of Haiti Jovenal Moise is assassinated by gunmen in nighttime raid on his home.

Group of gunmen broke into Moise’s residence in Port-au-Prince, according to a statement from the prime minister published in full by local broadcaster Juno7

Moise, 53, was shot dead and his wife Martine was also wounded in the attack.

A group of ‘foreigners’, some of whom spoke English and Spanish, broke into Mr Moise’s home at around 1am on Wednesday, PM Claude Joseph said in a statement.

The 53-year-old was shot dead and the First Lady Martine, 47, was also injured in the attack, Mr Joseph wrote as he condemned the ‘hateful, inhumane and barbaric act.’

Mr Joseph said he had taken charge of the country and the police and armed forces were taking ‘all measures to guarantee the continuity of the State and protect the Nation.’

It comes after Mr Moise claimed police had foiled an assassination plot in February amid massive protests in the country over claims the president was acting like a dictator and refusing to hold elections.

 AFP