Gunmen opened fire on a peaceful gathering of youths, believed to be supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers on Wednesday.
The youths had reportedly gathered at a roundabout in Elele to show solidarity with Fubara when the attack took place, escalating political tensions in the state.
This incident follows a 48-hour ultimatum given to Fubara by the Martin Amaewhule-led state Assembly to re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill, which expired on March 5.
An eyewitness, identified as Nwokoro, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria via telephone and claimed that a senior local vigilante commander carried out the attack.
According to Nwokoro, the commander, known as ‘Fucking Naira,’ appeared unexpectedly and opened fire on Fubara’s supporters.
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“He shot about 14 people, all of whom sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were taken to Madonna University Hospital in Elele for treatment,” Nwokoro reported.
He also alleged that the shooter is a factional leader of a prominent political party and a strong supporter of a well-known politician in the state.
Nwokoro claimed that the vigilante commander threatened to continue attacking the governor’s supporters and urged security agencies to take swift action to arrest and prosecute him.
Confirming the attack, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command, said that only four people sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.
She explained that the attack occurred after a patrol team from the Elele Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), arrived at Elele Roundabout to address an unlawful assembly.
“While officers were attempting to disperse the crowd, an unidentified assailant hiding nearby opened fire, causing multiple injuries. As of the time of this report, only four individuals have been confirmed injured,” Iringe-Koko said.
She added that the assailants tried to flee after the shooting, but one was apprehended by the police. A single-barrel gun was recovered from the suspect, and the injured victims were promptly taken to various hospitals in Elele for treatment.
Iringe-Koko confirmed that a manhunt is underway for the assailants who managed to escape. She also revealed that some of the attackers were identified as members of the Obio/Akpor Security Planning and Advisory Committee (OSPAC), a local vigilante group.
The apprehended suspect will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation, and Iringe-Koko assured that all involved in the attack would be located and brought to justice.
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