Bloodbath In Rivers as gunmen kill 15

…Residents flee Omoku, Obrikom communities
…LG chair blasts security agencies for incompetence
…Youth leader absolves police, tells off LG chair

By Davies Iheamnachor & Gift Nwankpa

OMOKU—UNIDENTIFIED gunmen have run amok in Rivers State, killing at least 15 persons at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, ONELGA, of the state in the last few weeks. The gory massacre has sent shivers down the spine of residents. The armed men, apparently seething with rage that over 200 cultists renounced cultism in the area, took aim at Omoku community lately, shooting sporadically and exterminating the lives of innocent people in all their three raids.

Cult clash

Niger Delta Voice gathered that, indeed, about 200 cultists, formerly of the Icelander Cult, terrorizing the area, openly repudiated their membership of the group at a Peace and Prayer programme organized by the ONELGA Youth Forum. The development restored hope to the people of the area, as many residents who relocated from the area returned when they heard about the wind of change blowing in the community.

Transient respite: However, the relief was temporal, as barely one week after the entreaty programme, the gunmen returned in full swing shattering the fragile peace enjoyed by the people for less than 30 days. The gangsters exterminated five persons that renounced cultism, penultimate Sunday, in Omoku town. They also invaded Omoruyi Street in the same community at about 9.00 pm and killed another five persons.

The Sunday incident raised palpable tension in Omoku town with people scampering to bed earlier than usual. A source told Niger Delta Voice that some of those who allegedly disowned cultism in the peace programme were not faithful to their promise.

Youth leader laments killings:

A youth leader in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government, Mr. Bright Abali condemned the deliberate killings of the innocent people as a senseless murder.

Abali, one of the youths that organized the peace programme where the cultists purportedly repented, said the level of killings in the area, especially after over 200 cultists turned their back on cultism was affecting the community. He said: “Politics have come and gone we should not continue to carry dead bodies, we cannot continue like this. I call on these masked gunmen to sheath their sword. Let it not look as if they deceived us.”

Fresh strike: While citizens were bemoaning the Omuku invasion, cultists struck, last Wednesday, at Obrikom community, killing six persons. Sources said the cultists opened fire soon as they stormed the community and like Omoku episode, Obrikom villagers were currently moving out of the under attack town.

LG chair blames security agencies, peace organizers: Contacted, chair of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area, Mr. Austin Ahiamadu,    blamed the security agencies over the killings, stressing that the security agencies    refused to live up to expectation in securing lives and properties in the area

Security agencies

He also criticized the peace reconciliation rally held in the area by a group, stressing that it was wrong to organize such programme without involving the local government council. He disclosed that the council had organized a security and peace meeting with both the security agencies and community stakeholders to proffer solution to the root cause of the crisis.

Big deception

Ahiamadu asserted, “The boys have not repented, if they had, why do they kill people, how will people who claim they have repented still be killing our people over nothing. “What they did was just a mere deceit, how would they organize a peace move without the knowledge of the local government,” he added.

Ahiamadu called on the state government and security agencies to re-double efforts in retuning normalcy, pointing out, “The situation is getting out of hand here.”

Youth chair tackles LG chair

The chair of ONELGA Youth Forum, Kingsley Ogumike, took the local government boss to the cleaners, accusing him of leading the people from a promised land.

“How would he know what his happening here when he rules from outside the local government area, he will not know the efforts of the police because he is not around, we did our best and deserve commendation, we sent invitation to everyone, including him but he was not around to receive it. God knows where is ruling the local government from,” he said.

Police vow to fish out criminals

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kimo Musa, who confirmed the killings, said police were currently investigating the incidents.

Musa said that the police were on top of the situation and would unravel and bring the culprits to book. He enjoined the people of the area to go about their normal businesses and make available any useful to the police.

Bloodbath In Rivers as gunmen kill 15