Fresh gang clashes don become a source of worry for residents of Port Harcourt, di River state capital.
Dis clashes na between suspected members of street cult groups for Mile One Diobu axis of di city.
Di South- South state of Nigeria wey don dey peaceful for some time don suddenly become weak in terms of security.
Apart from di gang war plenty cases of missing pesins don also come out.
Majority of di incidents na kidnapping and cases of missing pesins – recently dem kidnap di former president of di Nigeria Bar Association.
‘We dey live in constant fear’, victims tok
For over two weeks, clashes between different suspected cult groups for supremacy and territorial control dey go on wey don lead to shooting, robbery and killings within di Diobu areas of Mile 1 and 2, Port Harcourt.
Di recent one happun on Monday for Akwuzu street of di same area.
Residents for di area say di gang bin dey rob pipo and dey shoot gun sporadically and dem shoot one pesin for Ojike-by-Lumumba Street and anoda pesin for Abakaliki Street.
Police say dem dey aware of di cult war.
A victim of dia attack, Tony Dike narrate wetin im eye see.
E say on di night of Sunday 23 April 2023, some hoodlums position for Urualla by Abakaliki street wia dem bin dey rob passers-by and motorists and as dem dey do dis one dem shoot one pesin for Akwuzu/Lumumba Street.
“Di boys wear black and black, carry machete, bottles and stones and rob me of evritin I bin hold. Dem collect my phone and business money I bin hold, come order me to come down from my car.
“As I see say dem wan collect di car, I put di car on reverse and rush go make report for Mile one police station. Na so I escape,” Tony Dike tok.
Oda Diobu residents dey lament why Police allow di clash among di suspected cult groups to last.
Dem say e don make dem to dey close dia business earlier dan usual sake of insecurity.
One of dem wey im name na Nelson say, “We dey live in constant fear. Bifor, we dey waka freely for Diobu even for night up to 9-10pm but now bifor time reach 5pm or 6 pipo don begin close shop and by 7pm you no go see pesin outside again sake of constant fear.”
Cases of missing pesins
Apart from di incidents of shooting for parts of di state, e also get cases of missing pesins.
Pipo dey make announcement of missing pesins via social media.
While some of di victims dey popular, odas dey known to only friends and close associates.
E don reach one week now wey armed men kidnap of di 26th President of di Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Okey Wali SAN.
Dem gbab Okey Wali at gunpoint for di Obiri Ikwerre flyover along di East-West road – dem shoot im aide to death while two policemen wey dey wit am sustain gunshot injuries.
Di kidnap of di former NBA President na one of many kidnappings wey don happun for Rivers State in recent times and e dey raise serious security concerns for pipo wey dey live for di State.
Late Sunday evening of 23 April 2023, some unknown gunmen also kidnap di Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission for Bayelsa, Gloria Izonfuo for Ogbakiri junction Emohua local goment area of Rivers State.
Tori be say Izonfuo wey be former Head of Service for Bayelsa State bin dey return to Port Harcourt from Brass wen dem gbab her.
Police confam di kidnap cases.
Wetin police dey do
Di gang war and kidnapping incidents no fit go unnoticed.
Di Rivers state Police command say dem dey aware.
Tok tok pesin for di police SP Grace Iringe-Koko say di command dey on top di situation.
“Na cult clash, cult related activities and battle for supremacy of power na wetin happen for di Diobu axis.
“Na inside dia rivalry dem shoot one pesin dead,” she tok.
Iringe-Koko add say “right now we don map out strategy wey we go use bring dem down wey I no bring out to di public and we dey strongly on am to nip all dis cult related issues wey don dey happun for Diobu and we go take dem by surprise.”
But di local Vigilante believe say di security situation fit reduce if police cooperate wit dem.
Amatari Bipeledei, commander of Diobu Vigilante say di recent cult clash among demand urgent attention as e dey grow from battle for supremacy and territorial control to robbery and oda criminal activities.
