Panic In Rivers State: Gunmen Kill 19, Including Naval Officer & Nursing Mother

                                                 Governor Rivers State, Nyesom Wike

Rivers State and senseless killings! Gunmen suspected to be cult members on
Saturday killed 19 persons in Aluu community in Ikwerre area and Obite
community in Etche council area of the State.
A naval officer was among those killed when members of two cult groups
stormed the communities and went all out, engaging each other in a free-for-all
show of brutality.
The gunmen, believed to be of Greenlanders cult, invaded Aluu in reprisal
against a rival group, Icelanders and killed 15 persons, including a nursing
mother.
A naval personnel, who was among the Joint Task Force team that went to the
area to bring the situation under control, was hit by a bullet from the
cultists. Many others were injured during the attack in Aluu community.
It was gathered that the cult members also killed some innocent persons and
left several others injured.
A community source who witnessed the shootings, told Punch that some of the
cult members also stormed a community known as Etche and killed four
persons.
It was learnt that the gunmen also invaded a superstore in Omuoda village,
opened fire and killed many.
The bandits later advanced to Omuahunwo village and killed four of their victims
who were suspected to be rival cultists.
The assailants were said to have carried out the coordinated attacked based on
information that some members of the Icelanders were taking refuge in Aluu.
The incident left the residents of the area in anxiety as some people in the
affected communities fled their homes.
A source who spoke anonymously said, “Some cult members believed to be
members of Greenlanders came to the community and killed some people. The
boys operated in a very terrible manner. They went to a supermarket where
people usually go to buy something and opened fire on over six people.
“Some people narrowly escaped with gun wounds. We do not know the cause of
the killings, although we suspected that it is a cult war.’’
A source in Obite said, “At the moment, people are running away and nobody
knows who is who. The cult boys entered the community by 8am and started
shooting the people they described as their enemies.
“The Icelanders boys were the ones that shot the Degbam boys , but the fear
now is that the Degbam group has written a letter to the community, asking the
residents to flee because they are going to revenge.’’
Strangely, Rivers state Assistant Police PRO, Mrs Grace Iringe-Koko, said she
had not been briefed.