At least three people were killed and two were abducted when gunmen, suspected to be cultists, invaded the Ubeta community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State. The attackers ransacked the community on Wednesday morning, apparently carrying out a reprisal killing of three individuals. The day before, the same group had stormed the area and seized two shop owners.
Chief Million Jonathan, the Paramount Ruler of Ubeta, confirmed the incident to reporters in a telephone interview on Thursday afternoon. While he did not specify who was responsible for the attack, he said locals informed him that some of the victims were suspected cultists. He identified one of the kidnapped shop owners as Chimezie Nagbo and expressed concern for their health and safety, noting that the abductors had not contacted the victims’ families three days after the abduction.
The monarch said the attacks have become a recurring problem in the community, with little effort from the government or security agencies to contain them. As a result, many residents have fled the area. “I was at home when the news came in the morning that three boys were killed. I have invested, and up to now I don’t know who did it. According to the information I received, some of the deceased were cultists. I don’t know what led to the killing,” he said. He added that three days earlier, two shop owners with adjacent shops were kidnapped while selling goods. “They were in their shops when these bad boys with guns came that evening and kidnapped them. We still don’t know if they are dead or alive. One of the shop owners is Chimezie Nagbo,” he said.
When asked whether he had reported the matter to the police, the chief replied that he had instructed the Chairman of the Community Development Committee, who was in Port Harcourt at the time, to do so. “Because I am at home, I have not personally reported the matter at the police station here,” he said, urging the government to intervene and end the repeated killings and criminal activities. “I want the government to come to our aid so that all these killings and kidnappings will stop. These things have been going on for years now. These hoodlums took an oath sometime, and we didn’t hear of such killings again until now,” he explained.
The distraught monarch noted that people in many nearby communities, not only Ubeta, have fled because the perpetrators operate at night, ransack villages, shoot, and break into houses to steal property. He urged the community’s youths to desist from criminal activities, offering that the community leadership is willing to train them in useful skills to reduce such despicable acts. “But we still need the government to come and help us stop what is happening here,” he pleaded.
When contacted, Grace Iringe‑Koko, a Superintendent of Police and spokesperson for the State Police Command, said no official police report had been filed regarding the incident. “The command has not received any official report of it. However, I spoke with the Divisional Police Officer, who told me the people said they were coming to his office about the incident,” she said. She advised that the community should make an official report to the nearest police station so that immediate action can be taken.
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