Five killed as vigilante group members attack each other in Rivers Community

At least five members of ONELGA Security and Advisory Committee, OSPAC were killed during an internal leadership tussle in Egi land, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at Ahiahu junction in Erema axis of the Egi land.

Community sources told Standard Observers that the vigilante members turned their weapons against themselves over alleged financial misappropriation and disagreement over leadership responsibilities.

The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the coordinator of the vigilante group in the community, Onyemechi George was shot dead during the fracas by a father of a member he killed while the secretary of the group sustained life-threatening injuries, and was rushed to the hospital for medical attention.

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The vigilante member killed by the coordinator was identified as Ikoro Humphrey who was shot on the abdomen by George while machetes were also used to mutilate his body. Three others who sustained injuries during the fracas were hunted by their colleagues and later killed.

According to one of the community leaders who pleaded anonymity over the seriousness of the matter, the killings began on January 28 when a man said to be from Obagi in the LGA was killed.

He said that the next day, a member of the vigilante group was also killed inside Idu community, adding that the vigilante group which was set up to stop some of the bad boys have turned out to become the real bad boys due to lack of funding by the LGA and state government.

“They have turned out to be same as the people they were set up to stop due to lack of funding. Now they rely on extortion and other means to survive, the reason for all these killings”

When contacted, the public relations officer of the Rivers State police command, Nnamdi Omoni, said he has not been briefed about the killings.