Gunmen raid Rivers community, kill three, abduct two

No fewer than three persons were killed, while two were abducted when gunmen suspected to be cultists invaded the Ubeta community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The gunmen ransacked the community on Wednesday morning in what appeared to be reprisal killing three, while the day before the same group stormed the area and whisked two shop owners.

Paramount Ruler of the Ubeta community, Chief Million Jonathan confirmed the incident to newsmen in a telephone chat on Thursday afternoon.

Although Chief Jonathan neither indicated the course of the incident nor those behind the attack, he said locals informed him of the development and that some of the victims were suspected cultists.

He gave the name of the kidnapped shop owner as Chimezie Nagbo, even as he expressed worry over their health and safety, especially as the hoodlums had yet to contact any of their families three days after they were taken.

The monarch said the attacks had been recurring in the community without any concerted effort by the government or security operatives to contain them. He said the situation has made many residents desert the place.

He stated, “I was at home when the news came in the morning that three boys were killed. I have invested and up till now I don’t know those who did it. According to the information I received, some of them (deceased) are cultists. Three of them were killed but I don’t know what led to the killing.

“Three days ago they kidnapped two people who have shops close to each other. They were in their shops selling when these bad boys with guns came that evening and kidnapped them. Up till now, we don’t know if they are dead or still alive. One of the shop owners is Chimezie Nebu.”

Asked if he had reported the matter to the police, the monarch said he directed the Chairman, Community Development Committee who was in Port Harcourt at the time to do.

“Because I am at home. Personally, I have not reported the matter at the police station here,” even as he solicited the intervention of the government to put an end to the repeated killings and criminal activities in his community.

“I want the government to come to our aid so that all these killings and kidnappings will stop. These things (activities) have been going on for years now.

“These boys (hoodlums) took oath sometime and we didn’t hear much of these killings again. I don’t know why they have started now,” he explained with

Continuing, the distraught monarch said, “People in most of our communities here, not only Ubetta, have run away because these boys usually operate at night, ransack the communities, shoot and so on.

“So most of our people can no longer endure the situation because they break into peoples’ houses and steal their properties.”

He however advised youths in the community to desist from criminal activities, saying the leadership of the community was willing to train any of them to gain skill and become useful, so as to reduce such despicable acts.

“But we still need the government to come and help us to stop what is happening here,” he pleaded.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police said she contacted said no official report has been made to the Police on the incident.

“The command has not received any official report of it. But I spoke with the Divisional Police Officer who told me the people said they were coming to his office over the incident.

“It is important that when such things happen, let the community make an official report to the nearest police station in their domain so that action can be taken immediately,” she advised.