Unknown gun men have reportedly killed twelve persons and injured several others near an internally Displaced Persons Camp( IDPs) in Umuigwe, a community in Ehuda kingdom of Ahaoda East Local Government area of Rivers state.
Metronetworknews gathered that about three gunmen wielding Ak47 rifles, carried out the operation on Saturday night.
An indigene of the community told our correspondent that seven out of the twelve persons were returning to the camp when they were shot by the hoodlums.
“It felt more like a massacre as it happened just very close to one of the IDP camps in the area.
“Seven out of the twelve were living in the IDP camp but went out to get something and were shot”, he said.
However, the Rivers State Police Command in a statement signed by its Public Relations officer, GRACE IRINGE-KOKO, stated that the killing was as a result of mayhem which erupted between rival cult groups in the area.
The statement confirmed that five persons died in the cult clash in in a Housing estate closed to Immigration Training School in Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
It disclosed that one CHUKWUJEKU KINGSLEY, CHIBUIKE THANKGOD and three other people were shot dead in the clash.
It noted that before the police could arrive the scene of the incident, three of the dead bodies have been removed by their family members for burial while two others were deposited in mortuary.
” Preliminary investigation revealed that the killing was as a result of mayhem which erupted amongst the cultists in recent time, the commissioner of Police, CP OKON EFFIONG-OKON has deployed tactical teams while investigation is in progress”, the statement read in part”