Blessing Okorite, Port Harcourt
In less than two weeks Rivers State has witnessed massive killings in various areas of the state, as cult groups continue to cause havoc in the name of supremacy battle without serious intervention from the side of the state or the Federal security agencies.
Indigenes and residents of the state are still wondering how the state arrived at this level, where once peaceful and lovely areas have turned bloody without solution to ending the menace. There is need for government, security operatives, stakeholders, politicians and all Rivers people to sit down and sort out a way out of these killings.
There should be an end to this abnormality. Perpetrators and sponsors should be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law. Rivers State should not be allowed to be destroyed by hoodlums, who may not even know their identity.
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As at the time of filing this report, Mgbuodohia village in Rumuolumeni community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state was still deserted, following the killing of eight persons in a cult war in the area.
The Nigerian Xpress had gathered that suspected cultists invaded the community in the early hours of Sunday, April 7, 2019, in search of rival cult members.
The cultists, who invaded the community, reportedly moved from house to house in search of rival cultists in the area and succeeded in killing eight of their target.
The incident it was learned had made residents of the area to scamper for their lives in fear of attack from rivalry cult groups, avenging death of their members.
Chairman of Rumuolumeni Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Sunny Odum, who confirmed the incident, expressed sadness over the incident. He confirmed that eight persons died during the attack on the community, describing it as strange.
Odum, however, told residents not to panic over the incident, but to go about their normal business, as security operatives with the help of the community, would track down the perpetrators of the heinous crime and bring them to book.
Five persons were reportedly killed in cult related clash in Rumuche, Emohua LGA of Rivers State on April 8. A 64-year-old man was among the persons, who lost their lives during the clash at Emohua.
A community source, disclosed that Foundation Onuekwa, Bright Oteh, Junior Kayi, and two others were the victims in the cult clash.
Another source, who pleaded anonymity, also disclosed that one Atochi Ogbonna and two other persons, who were affected by stray bullets, were hospitalised.
Also, Mr. Solomon Erim, who confirmed the incident in Emohua alleged that the trouble started, last weekend, when a rival cultist, who had gone for a burial programme in the area, was attacked. He noted that the killings arose from attack.
Seven victims were also reportedly killed in Kaani community, Babbe District of Khana LGA on the same day. The victims as gathered from a source in Kaani were Mgbibari Nyornyaa, Sorlesi Youngman, Dornu Aanu, Bariagra Menebe, Lekia Eleaee, Boy-Mgbibari and Sira Mgbibari, all natives of the area.
A source in the area, who pleaded anonymity, narrated that unknown gunmen, numbering 12 and adorning black attires and face masks, invaded the community and shot sporadically, killing the victims.
On Wednesday, April 10, a yet to be identified youth was killed in Choba, near the University of Port Harcourt, in another cult-related attack.
It was gathered that some weird boys stormed the residence of their target, gunned him down and started shooting sporadically. Later in the evening of same day when the victim’s cult group members invaded the area on a reprisal mission, they were chased away by the policemen at the scene of incident later in the evening after the first attack in the morning hour.
Killings in Ogoni land are on the rise too and has kept the people on edge.
Consequently, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, expressed worries over the continued violence and killings taking place in most communities in Ogoni land.
The MOSOP President, Comrade Legborsi Pyagbara, in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said was appalled that rather than the ugly development be discontinued following several efforts in that regard, the perpetrators, particularly the cult gangs seem to now have a field day carrying out their dastardly acts across the length and breadth of Ogoni, apparently spilling from neighbouring communities.
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The statement signed by the Acting Publicity Secretary of MOSOP, Sunny Zorvah, disclosed that about ten Ogoni communities had been put under siege, with scores of people killed and natives either being internally displaced or living in fear and at the mercy of the various cult groups, who now move from one community to another, killing and maiming people.
The group further condemned the alleged army invasion on Yeghe community and alleged destruction of properties.
He said, “We totally condemn these wanton killings going on in our communities and call on the various security agencies to redouble their efforts in stemming the killing surge and restoring peace and sanity in the area. It is utterly disheartening that communities that are not at war with their neighbours will have no peace, experience sudden attacks and slaughter of their natives by invading armed gangs.
“We have continued to follow up this development with determined efforts to bring perpetrators to book and end this carnage and will not relent to avert further spread of the violence and senseless killings,” he said.
Reeling out the number of victims, the MOSOP leader added: “It is agonising seeing that dozens of people murdered on daily basis in most communities in the state, particularly in Khana Local Government Area of Ogoni. For instance, on April 4, 2019, four persons were reportedly killed in Baen and one person killed in Kwawa. On April 6, three persons lost their lives and one in critical condition in Eweh while three persons were killed in Sogho community. On April 7, seven persons were reportedly murdered in Kaani Babbe, one person killed in Dubulo on theApril 8 while on April 9, two persons were also killed in Kwawa, one in Bane and more than eight slaughtered in Bere community.
Pyagbara deplored the presence of military personnel in Ogoni land, saying: “MOSOP again condemns this unexplained military incursion into Ogoni communities and calls on the appropriate authorities to investigate the cause and motive behind such operation.”
He further called on the people of Ogoni to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands while reassuring them on MOSOP’s commitment to finding lasting solution to the state of insecurity in the area.
Meanwhile, 6 Division Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, has noted that about 21 souls have lost their lives in cult related crisis in Ogoni.
Col Aminu Iliyasu, Deputy Director Army Public Relations of 6 Division, who spoke with The Nigerian Xpress, noted that about 21 persons were killed within five days in Ogoni over cult related activities.
Iliyasu also disclosed that seven persons were killed in Yeghe community where the military went to calm the area and drove the disturbing cultists away.
He wonders why the army that is making efforts to bring peace to the area would be accused of invasion and destruction of properties.
The Army spokesman said “These people are very mischievous. We have human rights desk and we expected the people should report any such situations to us through the office. There was an operation yesterday, Tuesday, after it was reported that a family of seven were slaughtered in that Yeghe.
‘Why are they claiming that Army went and scattered someone’s property. Are the properties in that compound important than the lives that have been lost in that area?
“In fact, in the whole of Ogoni land, 21 souls have been lost in the past five days due to cult activities and they are not talking about that.”
The Rivers State Police Command has also confirmed the killings in the various communities noted in this report.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incidents to our correspondent could not confirm the number of victims killed.
On the killings at Kaani Babbe, Omoni said although normalcy has returned to the area following quick response of the police to the incidents, family of the victims has also refused to cooperate for proper investigation. He said the incident was as a result of cult clash following supremacy.
He said: “Yes I can confirm the incident but not the number of persons killed now. And again, it has to do with secret cult supremacy clash, where they said 12 members of a particular cult group invaded the community, singled out their Identified targets and killed them.
“When our men got there they took to flight, even the corpses were takeaway by the owners before we got there. So, as we speak we cannot lay hand on the corpses for investigation.
“However, our men have taken over the place. Normalcy has been returned in the area people are going about their lawful businesses.
“Because of the unwillingness and uncooperative of the community, we have not been able to make arrest yet”, Omoni added.