By Daniel Abia - Snr Correspondent Port Harcourt
No fewer than 15 persons have been reportedly killed when suspected cultists opened fire across communities in Egi Clan, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
What led to the shooting last week could not be ascertained immediately, but sources in the community said the killings were perpetrated by gunmen believed to be cultists, who drove in five motorbikes during the mission on Wednesday night.
It was learnt that the cultists started shooting from Obagi at about 8pm on Wednesday and moved to Ebe community when they shot one persons who died in the hospital and killed two persons and injured one, before riding dangerously to the next community, all in Ogba /Egbema/ Ndoni.
Also, the gunmen reportedly killed three at Obite, moved to Egita, killed three and injured two others and moved to Akabta where they shot indiscriminately, leading to the death of one.
The source said the attackers moved to Obiozimini, where one person was killed, one injured, before they terminated at Akabuka, where it was leant that one person was also felled by the insurgents’ bullets.
“Nobody knew what caused the raid. Nobody knows the name of the group carrying out the attacks, but they were in about five motorbikes and they were armed with sophisticated weapons.
“Some of those who were injured later died from the gunshot wounds. The total number of people who died from that attack on Wednesday is about 15,” the source said.
Meanwhile people of the affected communities ran in confusing directions to avoid being killed, while others fled to safer areas.
The source also said that the attack was coming on the heels of the arrest of a notorius cultist popularly known as ‘Egi General’, believed to be the leader of the Bushmen, a cult group in the area. Some of those killed are said to hail from Imo State.
Members of the community said they were confused as they could not ascertain the motives behind the mindless killings, but they said they knew that bandits were cult groups.
It was further leant that people in the community are more confused following the development, as they had heaved a sigh of relief when the notorious cultist was nabbed not knowing that their happiness would be shot-lived. Similarly, no fewer than three persons reportedly lost their lives in a rival cult clash in two communities of Bane and Kpaa of Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State yesterday.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Hyacinth Nwiye, who confirmed the incident, said two persons were killed in Bane while a woman was shot dead in Kpaa Community during the clash between two rival cult groups.
He said one of the cultists was shot and beheaded.
“When I heard about the incident I quickly called the DPO to find out what happened. I went there myself also and when I got there, I discovered that the corpses had been brought to the police station. I went with them to the mortuary where the corpses were deposited. I later discovered that one of the cultists that participated in this nefarious act was shot dead and beheaded. His head was taken away. We went with the police to take the headless body to the mortuary,” he said.
The council chairman said the motive behind frequent cult clashes in the area could not be established.
Rivers State Police Command Assistant Police Public Relation Officer, Grace Koko, said she is yet to be briefed on the incident.
However, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, has vowed to wipe out all forms of criminality in the state.
He said though Rivers State was one of the most well policed states after Lagos, “there is a need for residents to be security conscious.”
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