Rivers: OSPAC member, 4 others reportedly killed in Emohua LGA

By Tina Amanda

Violence erupted in Obele Community, Emohua Local Government Area (EMOLGA) of Rivers State on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, following the killing of a member of the ONELGA Security Advisory Committee (OSPAC) by suspected cultists.

Four other people were reportedly shot in the nearby village of Omuwhoke Ngbume.

In an interview, one of the victims, who identified himself as Eze, recounted the ordeal. “My name is Eze, from Obele town in Emohua LGA. I heard the sound of a motorbike outside my house, and when I went to check, I saw armed men.

“My brother and I tried to escape, but they started shooting at us, they shot me and my brother, and two others. I still have not found my brother.”

Eze alleged that one of the attackers, known as “Naked,” accused them of being informants, a claim he denied.

The incident follows an earlier attack on the house of a former Councillor, Chigozie Woka, on Sunday, November 3. Woka, a native of Obele and former Councillor in Port Harcourt Ward 17, accused “Naked” of orchestrating the attack and blamed him for ongoing violence in the community.

“This young man is not from Obele, he is from Ibaa,he comes to Obele to take refuge. He called me on phone to say I am working with the security agency to chase him out of Obele, I told him I am not working with anybody because I do not have any plans like that.

“On Sunday I was in Port Harcourt, and they called me that he had gone to my house with his OSPAC boys, this young man if he is called for profiling as an OSPAC personnel will not come, he went to my house they told me he scattered everywhere put the house on fire.

“What is my crime, that I am working with security agencies and I want them to chase him out of obele. I have been fighting against this crime, i want Obele to be a peaceful land just like other community.

“He made Obele his camp, kidnapping, committing all sought of crimes in Obele. When this thing happens, the security agencies we not know who to hold because whenever they come, they will run into the bush.

“These are the things happening in Obele. After he scattered my house and set fire to my house. I have to go to the Police in Rumuji, I have made entry there.

“Today again I am surprised that they are calling me that he has gone to my place to shoot some people in my community and that they are working with me and the Police, to chase him out. He shot four people, they can only see three that are looking for a way to treat themselves, one I do not know if he is dead, they are calling me they cannot reach that one”.

In response, Achor Egberuwho, acting Youth Chairman of Omuobu village in Ibaa, defended “Naked,” known formally as Chinanu Eleonu, speaking on behalf of Eleonu, Egberuwho denied the accusations, alleging instead that Woka sponsored cultists to attack “Naked.”

“It’s absurd that Woka would go this far,” Egberuwho said. “On Sunday, Woka’s group tried to kill ‘Naked,’ who narrowly escaped. They burned an OSPAC member’s house but no other houses were razed. ‘Naked’ has been a force for peace, stopping illegal oil bunkering and drug abuse in the area.

“Chigozie has been boasting that Obele will know no peace except the CDC Chairman position is being given to him.

“It was Chigozie Woka. who attacked Naked with his gang, we have been hearing that houses have been burnt in Obele, and people have been shot. Naked is an OSPAC, will an OSPAC kill fellow OSPAC.

“Do you know that Naked barely escaped on Sunday, Chigozie left his boys inside the bush they came out Monday evening to kill an OSPAC member as the other OSPAC men escaped.

“So the OSPAC are searching for the killers. No house has been razed down. We call on the public to go to Obele to see if any house was burnt and if any other person has been killed except the OSPAC member who was killed by Chigozie and his gang.

“Chinanu Eleonu did not destroy any house neither did he kill anybody. Chinanu Eleonu is a loving and peaceful fellow, he is working as surveillance and has stopped illegal oil bunkering in EMOLGA, he has stopped all forms of illegality including drug abuse.

“Just because he called this set of people to allow peace and rule of law, they said no. The OSPAC who was killed is from Obele. Rumuji Police Division is also aware of the killing of the OSPAC member”.

At press time it was gathered that the killing of the OSPAC personnel reported the shooting of four and the destruction of the house of the former councilor had been reported to Rumuji Police Division.

A spokesperson for Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the killing of OSPAC member and the destruction of the Councillor’s house.

SP Iringe-Koko however said there was no report in the station on the shooting of four persons.