2nd June, 2017
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Fourteen persons have been shot dead while several others were injured in Sime, Tai Local Government Area of Ogoniland, Rivers State, after a bloody clash between cult gangs in the community in the early hours of Friday.
Bob Uelor Nkue, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Tai Local Government who confirmed the massacre regretted the dastardly incident which is coming barely a month after Governor Nyesom Wike extended a second round of amnesty programme to the four local government areas for members of various cult groups to renounce their membership and surrender their weapons.
Nkue asked the Sime community not to panic as adequate security has been put in place to forestall further clash and ensure protection of lives and property in the area.
Investigations also revealed that a lot of resident of the area fled their homes to escape the shootings.
“I totally condemn this attack that led to the death of 14 persons, because the governor has given a second chance to cultists and criminals in Ogoniland to embrace the amnesty programme.
Few days ago, two persons were also killed by cult gangs. I am using this opportunity to call on the people of Sime not to panic as the police and other security agencies are on top of the situation,” Nkue assured.
Ogoniland, like many parts of Rivers state, in recent times, has been a hotbed of cult gang fights.
In the first round of the Rivers state government amnesty programme, most of the criminal gangs refused to surrender their weapons. A second chance was extended to them but the number of weapons surrendered were small compared with the dangerous weapons suspected to be in hands of gangs in the area.
The state police command is yet to comment on the incident as at the time of filing this report.