Gunmen slaughter pregnant woman, 6 others in Rivers State

Gunmen have killed at least three persons including a pregnant woman in Luubara, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers.

The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning as the battle between two rival cult groups intensified.

Another four persons including Mr Amonko were also killed in Buan on Monday morning.

The renewed killings comes days after more than twenty persons were killed in Kono Boue.

Locals say a supremacy battle between Iceland cult group and Deegbam is responsible for the killings in the local government area.

But following reactions which have continued to trail the recent spate of killings and violence in some communities in Ogoniland, Youths under the aegis of Christian Youths for Peace, Khana/Gokana Zone have condemned, in strong terms, the recent killings and shooting in parts of Bori and Kono Bo-ue communities in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Speaking on Friday, on the sidelines of a 3-day conference of the Southern Nigeria Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria held in Port Harcourt with the theme: “The Role of Southern Christian Youths in Upholding and Sustaining Our Christian Faith”, Mr. Nwikasi Kiaka who serves a the Khana LGA Coordinator of the group decried the last Friday shooting in some parts of Bori town and the last Sunday killings of about 20 locals in Kono Bo-ue community.

According to him, cult war, communal violence and sponsored killings are the least of what the Ogoni people deserve from any quarter at such a time when stakeholders of the area are preoccupied with strategies and policies to develop the once ravaged region.

Nwikasi said: “The resumed violence, and particularly the killing of innocent natives of Bori and Kono Bo-ue, is disheartening and increasingly disturbing.

“That some blood thirsty elements would wake up and bear arms against their very own communities, up to the height of snuffing lives out of innocent natives by pulling their trigger at them is to say the least barbaric and highly condemnable.

“Our youths should rather be taking a cue from our elders and stakeholders who, regardless of their political or religious affiliations, are forming a united front to champion the development of Ogoniland and secure payment of due compensation to our people who have been marginalized and retired to the background over the years”

On his part, Mr. Anthony Michael Fii, the group’s coordinator for Gokana LGA, sued for peace amongst all warring factions and cult groups who may be responsible and masterminding the wanton destruction of lives and property across Ogoniland.

Mr. Dimkpa Andy, the State Publicist of the Christian youth group, advised the youths of Ogoniland to desist from destroying their own people, land and heritage in exchange for material gains and egoistic gratification.

“The youths masterminding and executing this carnage in Ogoniland should rather turn a new leaf and key into the blueprint and peace policies put forward at the recent Ogoni stakeholders security meeting facilitated by the Supreme Council of Ogoni Traditional Rulers, led by the Gbenemene of Tai Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King G.N.K Giniwa, OFR, JP.

“As a youth body championing the sustenance of peace in our society, we highly endorse the contributions of outstanding Ogoni leaders like the Member-Elect fo Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency and the immediate past Rivers State Commissioner of Works, Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, towards keeping the peace in Ogoni communities and engaging Ogoni youths meaningfully in their chosen endeavours”, he averred.