Six feared killed as gang war rages in Rivers communities

By ANN GODWIN, Port Harcourt

Six persons were feared killed as gunmen suspected to be cultists invaded Dema and nearby communities in Andoni and Diobu in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the operatives of the state police command also killed two suspected cultists after the miscreants allegedly engaged the police team in a gun battle.

There were also heavy shootings in Diobu axis on Thursday morning where two persons were feared killed.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the Andoni communities in about ten speed boats, shooting sporadically and leaving four persons dead, even as some locals gave name of the invaders as Icelanders cult group.

An eyewitness from the area said residents scampered to safety during the heavy shooting in some communities in the area.

“This morning, we heard some gunshots. They were shooting at Ajakajak, Samanga, Ibute-Irem and Dema. People ran helter-skelter and there are no security personnel here. They came with about ten speed boats loaded with arms and ammunition.

“I am asking the government to come to our aid by sending security personnel. People are dying”, he stated.

Another resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said about four persons, two women and two young men have lost their lives

“What we are recording now is four. Two women and two boys. They were not involved in any cult issue”.

Reacting to the Andoni attacks, spokesman for the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni said police operatives and men of the Nigerian Navy have been deployed to the area to restore normalcy.

“We have been arresting them. We have recovered large cache of arms and ammunition. Two days ago, we had an encounter with them. The DPO led his team, we encountered them and got two of them fatally wounded and recovered some arms and ammunition.

“They go after their targets. They don’t go for innocent people as it were. So its been cult rivalry, cult supremacy, clash and mindless killings of perceived opponents.

“We are not relenting in any way. We are doing our best to ensure that they are tamed, contained and dealt with accordingly.

“We will continue to do our best to ensure that Ogoni axis know peace.

The CP has ordered that five team with patrol vehicles be deployed to that axis with a view to beefing up security and sanitizing that axis”, he added. (The Guardian)