Two dead in renewed communal clash in Rivers state

Two persons have reportedly died while many sustained several degrees of injuries during a renewed clash between Bomu and Lewe communities in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Community sources told theportcitynews that the clash resumed in the early hours of Wednesday morning as gunmen from Lewe laid a siege on Bomu.

Bomu and Lewe communities have been embroid in decades of in-fighting which has led to the death of tens of persons and burning of houses.

An intervention by the Nigerian Army in 2018 to settle the dispute failed as Lewe community failed to attend a reconciliatory meeting fixed by the army.

Local sources said on Wednesday morning that a swift intervention by security agencies halted what said could have led to full-blown anarchy.

They called on the state government to wade into the matter and bring an end to the killings.

An umbrella Ogoni socio-political group, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP, also called for an immediate end to renewed hostilities between the Bomu and Lewe people in Gokana local government area.

MOSOP in a statement by its factional president, Fegalo Nsuke said it was strongly disheartened by the sad news of fresh fighting breaking out between communities early this morning.

“We call for an immediate end to the fighting”.

“We have been in touch with the Nigerian Police on this issue and commend their prompt intervention at about 2 am this morning. We further urge the Police to continue to maintain their presence in the area until peace is restored correctly.

“The MOSOP Executive Committee will convene immediately to take decisions on the way forward to address these problems, including the deployment of traditional means of resolving these conflicts”.

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