One dead, four injured after attack on Rivers community

The Rivers state police command says gunmen have killed a vigilante and injured four persons in an attack on Obele, a community in Emohua LGA.

The deceased was a member of the peace and advisory committee of the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGA.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the state’s police spokesperson, said a house was destroyed during the incident.

“Yes, I can confirm that one person was killed and a house destroyed,” she said.

Eze, one of the survivors, said he escaped the shootings, adding that the attackers had accused them of being informants to the police.

“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,” he said.

“As we fled, they shot at us. There were four of us in total, and I haven’t seen my brother since. We’ve been calling around, but no one has seen him.

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

The gunmen reportedly destroyed the house of Chigozie Woka, a former councillor in the area.

The former lawmaker said a man popularly known as “Naked” was behind the attack on his house.

“He’s not even from Obele; he comes here to seek refuge. He called me recently, accusing me of working with security agencies to chase him out,” he said.

“He came to my house with his boys, and they destroyed everything. What crime did I commit? That I’m working with security agencies?”