Vigilante killed when gunmen set fire to River’s ex-counsel’s house

The attackers also set fire to the home of a former river councilor in the area and left at least four others wounded by gunfire.

Armed men, probably affiliated with cult groupshas brutally murdered a member of a local vigilante group in Obele community, located in Emohua Local Government Area of ​​Rivers State. The victim, who was part of the ONELGA The Security, Peace and Advisory Committee was attacked in a violent incident on Wednesday evening.

The attackers also set fire to the home of a former councilor in the area and left at least four others wounded by gunfire. A survivor, who went by the name Eze, recounted the terrifying experience to reporters on Thursday. He described being at home with his brother when they suddenly heard gunfire, followed by the sound of approaching motorcycles. The attackers, accusing them of being police informants, opened fire without warning.

“I got up to see who it was and recognized guys working for someone known as ‘Naked’ armed with guns. I immediately urged my brother to escape. When we ran away, they shot at us. There were four of us in total and I haven’t seen my brother since. We’ve tried calling around, but no one has been able to locate him. They accused us of providing information to the police. That was the last thing I heard before I fled,” Eze said.

Former councilor Chigozie Woka, a resident of Obele, alleged that the same person, ‘Naked’, orchestrated the violent attack. Woka revealed that ‘Naked’, who hails from the Ibaa community, had previously made threats against him regarding his alleged collaboration with security forces.

“I was a councilor in Port Harcourt, and Obele is plagued by unrest because of this young man, ‘Naked’. He doesn’t even belong to Obele; he comes here as a refuge. He recently called me and accused me of working with the police to oust him,” Woka said. He said that while he was in Port Harcourt last Sunday, he received news that “Naked” and his OSPAC operatives had raided and set fire to his house. “He stormed my house with his OSPAC guys and destroyed everything. What offense have I committed? That I cooperate with the police?” he complained.

Complicating matters further, Woka claimed that “Naked” and his crew were responsible for the recent shooting that injured four persons, claiming that they had accused the victims of cooperating with the police.

In a counter reaction, the acting youth chairman of Omuobu village in Ibaa, Achor Egberuwho dismissed Woka’s allegations and accused him of funding cultists to attack ‘Naked’. Egberuwho alleged that Woka was the one behind the attack on “Naked” and claimed that “Naked” was a member of OSPAC and could not have been involved in harming fellow officers. “It is absurd for Chigozie Woka to make such claims. He led a group in an attempt to attack ‘Naked’. Had there been no divine intervention, ‘Naked’ might have been killed,” Egberuwho alleged.

At the time of this report, the shooting death of the OSPAC member, the injuries of four persons and the arson of Woka’s home had all been reported to the Rumuji Police Department. Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the fatal accident and the destruction of the house, but noted that she had not yet received comprehensive details of the four victims’ injuries. “Yes, I can confirm that one person was killed and a house was destroyed. An investigation is underway to identify and arrest those responsible,” Iringe-Koko said.