In a tragic escalation of violence in Rivers State, suspected cultists murdered a policeman and a vigilante group member in Ahoada East Local Government Area on Monday night. The incident is believed to be linked to a violent attack on the Administrator of Ahoada East Local Government, Goodluck Iheanachor, which occurred the previous Friday.
Okay.ng reports that the violence unfolded after about 30 hoodlums stormed the council office last Friday, physically assaulting Iheanachor. The attackers reportedly beat him severely, seized important documents from his office, confiscated his mobile phone, and coerced him into signing a resignation letter.
Goodluck Iheanachor is one of the 23 Local Government Administrators appointed by the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd.), to oversee the councils’ activities. The assault on Iheanachor triggered a police investigation, leading to the summoning of the Chief Security Officer and the Council Chief of Staff for questioning. Authorities suspect that these officials may have facilitated the attack by leading the hoodlums.
The two victims killed on Monday night were security personnel stationed at the Local Government secretariat to maintain order following the earlier attack. According to the Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, a cultist group known as Iceland launched a deadly attack on the vigilante outfit called OSPAC (Onelga Security Peace Advisory Committee).
In a statement released on Tuesday, Iringe-Koko said, “Armed assailants, led by two men, Umegbewe Kingsley a.k.a. ‘Gutam’ and one Opaka (surname unknown), believed to be leaders of the Iceland cult group, stormed the OSPAC office beside the Ahoada East Council Secretariat and opened fire on its operatives. During the assault, OSPAC operative, Ngozi Ipah was shot.”
The attackers also killed a police corporal, Francis Friday, who was on special duty at the secretariat alongside the Special Intervention Squad. Police patrol teams led by the Divisional Police Officer responded quickly but the assailants had already fled the scene.
The victims were rushed to Ahoada General Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy. The police condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
