Gunmen, believed to be cultists, have killed a member of a local vigilante group and set ablaze the house of a former councillor in Obele community, Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The victim, identified as a member of the ONELGA Security Peace and Advisory Committee (OSPAC), was targeted in an attack on Wednesday night. The assailants also left at least four others injured by gunfire during the raid.
One of the survivors, a man named Eze, shared his terrifying experience with reporters on Thursday. Eze recounted how he and his brother were caught in the crossfire when gunmen stormed their home.
“We were at home when we suddenly heard gunshots and the sound of motorcycles approaching. The attackers accused us of being informants to the police and then opened fire on us,” Eze said.
He described how he saw the gunmen, allegedly working for a man known as “Naked,” and immediately fled with his brother. “I told my brother to run, but as we were escaping, 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,” he added.
Eze went on to say that the attackers had accused them of passing information to security agencies, which was the last thing he heard before he fled.
Meanwhile, former councillor Chigozie Woka, whose house was destroyed in the attack, has accused the same “Naked” of masterminding the assault. Woka, a native of Obele, revealed that he had received threats from “Naked” in the past due to his perceived cooperation with security agencies.
“I served as a councillor in Port Harcourt, and Obele has been facing unrest due to this young man, ‘Naked’. He’s not even from here; he comes to Obele for refuge. He recently called me, accusing me of working with security agencies to chase him out,” Woka explained.
Woka further disclosed that on Sunday, while he was in Port Harcourt, he received a call informing him that “Naked” and his OSPAC operatives had raided his house in Obele, ransacked it, and set it on fire. “They destroyed everything. What crime did I commit? That I’m working with the police?” Woka lamented.
The tension in the community has escalated, with Woka accusing “Naked” and his gang of being responsible for the recent shooting that injured four people, allegedly because they were accused of working with the police.
In response to the allegations, Achor Egberuwho, the acting youth chairman of Omuobu village in Ibaa, denied the claims and instead accused Woka of sponsoring cultists to attack “Naked.” Egberuwho alleged that Woka was behind an attack on “Naked” and his followers, claiming that “Naked” is a member of OSPAC and could not have been responsible for killing fellow operatives.
“It’s laughable that Chigozie Woka would stoop so low. He led a group to attack ‘Naked.’ If not for the grace of God, ‘Naked’ would have been killed,” Egberuwho said.
As of Thursday, the police had been notified of the death of the OSPAC member, the shooting of four individuals, and the attack on Woka’s home. Rivers State Police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the killing and the destruction of the house, but she said details of the shooting of the four victims were still being verified.
“Yes, I can confirm that one person was killed and a house was destroyed. An investigation is ongoing to identify and apprehend the culprits,” Iringe-Koko stated.
