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More Attacks, Killing In Rivers Community After Guber Poll
Approximately three days after the governorship and state House of Assembly elections were held in Rivers state on Saturday, April 11, hoodlums have attacked a community in the state, killing one and injuring several others.
Nigerian Pilot reports that the attack took place on Sunday in Anyu community in Abua/Odual local government area of the state, and claimed the life of one youth.
The victim, who was identified as Adams Idema, was reportedly hit with sticks by the hoodlums who went round the community for over an hour, attacking perceived enemies and destroying properties with clubs and machetes.
It is not clear if the attack was politically motivated because Anyu is the community of the member representing Abua/Odual constituency in the Rivers state House of Assembly, Hon Augustine Ngo, and has been in crisis since 2011 over a chieftaincy tussle.
It was reported that the youths, numbering about 27, also injured two other youths whose names were given as Kalemugh Idema and Iipedio Sokari Lambert.
A source revealed that the incident occurred around 11am on Sunday. He said the victim died at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenegoa in Bayelsa state, while one of the injured youths is currently in a critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.
Some residents of the community accused Ngo of sponsoring the youths to carry out the mayhem.
Meanwhile, one of the injured youths, who spoke with newsmen said he was preparing to return to Port Harcourt after participating in the Saturday governorship polls, when the youths attacked him, smashed his car and left him unconscious.
“I had already packed my things to return to Port Harcourt but I decided to eat at a restaurant before leaving. I was there with the other victims when they came and said ‘look at some of them, look at some of them!’ and before we could do anything they attacked.We were rushed to the hospital but one of the victims died. They also destroyed my Toyota Carina E class car. I don’t think this is political because the elections were peaceful; I think it is more of the crisis in my community because this is not the first time I being attacked by these same boys,” he said.
When Ngo was contacted over the incident, he denied sponsoring the youths, and blamed the development on the chieftaincy crisis in the community
“You should know by now that I am not a violent man and would not sponsor any youth to unleash terror on anyone. I believe in the sanctity of life. I also believe that no cause is worth shedding the blood of any other person. The situation in my village is rather unfortunate. The crisis in my village dates back to 2011 when chieftaincy issues polarised it,” he stated.
However, the state police command was yet to confirm the incident at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Nyesom Wike, was on Monday, April 13, announced as the governor-elect for the state. He scored 1,029,102 votes, while Dakuku Peterside, the All Progressives Congress candidate, polled 124,896 votes
Nigerian Pilot reports that the attack took place on Sunday in Anyu community in Abua/Odual local government area of the state, and claimed the life of one youth.
The victim, who was identified as Adams Idema, was reportedly hit with sticks by the hoodlums who went round the community for over an hour, attacking perceived enemies and destroying properties with clubs and machetes.
It is not clear if the attack was politically motivated because Anyu is the community of the member representing Abua/Odual constituency in the Rivers state House of Assembly, Hon Augustine Ngo, and has been in crisis since 2011 over a chieftaincy tussle.
It was reported that the youths, numbering about 27, also injured two other youths whose names were given as Kalemugh Idema and Iipedio Sokari Lambert.
A source revealed that the incident occurred around 11am on Sunday. He said the victim died at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenegoa in Bayelsa state, while one of the injured youths is currently in a critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.
Some residents of the community accused Ngo of sponsoring the youths to carry out the mayhem.
Meanwhile, one of the injured youths, who spoke with newsmen said he was preparing to return to Port Harcourt after participating in the Saturday governorship polls, when the youths attacked him, smashed his car and left him unconscious.
“I had already packed my things to return to Port Harcourt but I decided to eat at a restaurant before leaving. I was there with the other victims when they came and said ‘look at some of them, look at some of them!’ and before we could do anything they attacked.We were rushed to the hospital but one of the victims died. They also destroyed my Toyota Carina E class car. I don’t think this is political because the elections were peaceful; I think it is more of the crisis in my community because this is not the first time I being attacked by these same boys,” he said.
When Ngo was contacted over the incident, he denied sponsoring the youths, and blamed the development on the chieftaincy crisis in the community
“You should know by now that I am not a violent man and would not sponsor any youth to unleash terror on anyone. I believe in the sanctity of life. I also believe that no cause is worth shedding the blood of any other person. The situation in my village is rather unfortunate. The crisis in my village dates back to 2011 when chieftaincy issues polarised it,” he stated.
However, the state police command was yet to confirm the incident at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Nyesom Wike, was on Monday, April 13, announced as the governor-elect for the state. He scored 1,029,102 votes, while Dakuku Peterside, the All Progressives Congress candidate, polled 124,896 votes
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