Gunmen k!ll vigilante, shoot four others and set ex- councillor?s house ablaze in Rivers

Gunmen suspected to be cultists have k!lled a member of a local vigilante group and shot four others in the Obele community of Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State.

The deceased identified as a member of the ONELGA Security Peace and Advisory Committee, was shot d3ad in Omuwhoke Ngbume village, Obele on Wednesday night, November 6, 2024. 

According to punch, the assailants also set ablaze the house of a former councillor in the area, Chigozie Woka. 

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, November 7, one of the survivors, who identified himself as Eze, said he and his brother were at home when they suddenly heard gunshots followed by the sound of motorcycles approaching their house. 

The attackers, accusing them of being informants to the police, opened fire on them.

“I stood up to check who they were, and I saw boys working for a man called “Naked” with guns. I immediately told my brother to run. As we fled, they shot at us. We were four in total, and I haven’t seen my brother since. We’ve been calling around, but no one has seen him,” he said. 

“They accused us of giving information to security agencies. That was the last thing I heard before I fled.”

In response to the allegations, the acting Youth Chairman of Omuobu village in Ibaa, Achor Egberuwho, denied the claims and instead accused Woka of sponsoring cultists to attack “Naked.”

Egberuwho alleged that Woka was behind the attack on “Naked” and his followers. 

He insisted that “Naked” was an OSPAC member and could not have been involved in the killings of fellow operatives. 

“It’s laughable that Chigozie Woka would stoop so low. He led a group to attack ‘Naked’. If not for the grace of God, ‘Naked’ would have been killed,” Egberuwho said.

The killing of the OSPAC member, the shooting of four individuals, and the attack on Woka’s house had been reported to the Rumuji Police Division.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the incidents.

“Yes, I can confirm that one person was killed and a house destroyed. Investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend the culprits,” Iringe-Koko said.