Fear grips communities as cultists kill eight, injure others

Emmanuel Masha, Port Harcourt

About eight residents of Taaba, Okwale and Nyokuru communities in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, were killed after suspected cultists stormed the communities and opened fire.

The cultists, alleged to be on a reprisal, first invaded Okwale Community on Tuesday evening, and shot indiscriminately, killing at least four persons and injuring several others.
The cultists also burnt down houses, and forced most residents, especially women, to flee into the forest for safety. There was also an attack on Nyokuru Community, where cultists burnt the house of the factional President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, Comrade Legborsi Pyagbara.
The number of houses burnt in Nyokuru Community and people killed on Wednesday could not be ascertained.
In the Ogoni axis, an ongoing battle of supremacy ensued between Greenlanders and Deegbam cult groups.
New Telegraph gathered that in two separate attacks, the two groups did not cover their faces as they unleashed mayhem. They also were not challenged throughout the hours  they carried out their attack.
A former lawmaker in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Honourable Friday Nkee, who hails from Okwale Community, while condemning the attack, said that  it was unfortunate that some persons attacked the community in a bid to cause mayhem.
A few days ago, the Nigerian Army arrested Bobrisky, a cultist, alleged to have been terrorising Gokana Local Government Area, after Governor Nyesom Wike placed a N30m bounty him.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Nnamdi Omoni, while confirming the killings in Okwale and Taaba communities, did not state the number of persons killed.
He, however, said that the command has deployed teams of policemen to the two communities in a bid to restore law and order.

The spokesman of the factional MOSOP President, Sunny Zorvah, in a statement, condemned the attack.

He said: "MOSOP also feels distressed over reports of the killing of about  four persons early today and razing of the palace of His Highness, Chief Nule (jnr) in Taabaa community. There was also yesterday's killing of scores of persons and attacks on the residence of  Chief  Monday Abueh and others in Okwale community by cult gangs. MOSOP is pained over this unjustified attacks, leading to the burning of the house of the MOSOP President, Comrade Legborsi Pyagbara, in Nyokuru community. This ugly situation demands urgent and thorough actions by the security agencies and every necessary action required of the government.”

Zorvah further said: “We call on the Police and the Special Joint Military Task Force to ensure the return of peace to the troubled communities, go after perpetrators of this barbaric and retrogressive onslaught on the communities, but without hurt on innocent persons. We also appeal to the traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other influential stakeholders to put their differences aside and work for the peace and security in the area.”