Eight persons feared killed as cultists attack Rivers community

Fresh from a hard fought victory at the polls, Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State appears to have another battle on his hands with the recent development in which Eight persons are feared killed in the early morning invasion of a community by armed youths.

An eyewitness account said the gunmen, suspected to be cultists, stormed Mgbuodohia community in Rumuolumeni, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State in the wee hours of Sunday, killing eight persons and injuring others.

The Chairman of Rumuolumeni Community Development Committee, (CDC), Sunny Odum, confirmed the figure expressing sadness over the unfortunate invasion.

Odum said that eight persons were killed in the attack, describing it as strange.

But the Police in the state said three persons were killed in the attack.

The sources said a cult group had invaded the community in search of members of their rival cult members.

According to them, the hoodlums moved from house to house in search of targets (rival cultists) in the area and in the process fished out and killed eight of them.

The development caused panic in the area, causing residents to desert the place in fear of reprisal attack.

But the CDC chairman urged residents to return to their homes, assuring security operatives in the state were already on top of the matter and will track the attackers in no time.

The command’s spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told our correspondent on phone that some arrests have already been made and that the suspects are helping the police in their investigations.

“It was a cult fight and as at the time i got report from Rumuolumeni Police Division today, only three persons were confirmed dead while several others who sustained gun-shot injuries were being treated at different hospitals.

 “Some persons have been arrested in connection with the incident and they are helping the Police in their investigations,” he said.

Omoni appealed to residents who have deserted their homes to return, assuring normalcy has since returned to the community.

End

Independent