Not too long after the police killings that claimed the lives of 12 officers, we are faced with a similar occurrence where a deadly attack was launched against 8 former militants all of whom are now feared died.
Though the exact reason behind this attack is hazy, what we can confirm is that among those killed were five ex-militant youths that embraced amnesty under the leadership of Pastor Reuben Wilson popularly known as General Wilson.
also among them was Pastor Reuben’s 37-year-old younger brother, know as Judah Benaebi Wilson and two others.
It was believed that the armed attack occurred on Saturday night after the young men were tricked into the creek and shot dead at the Lobia waterside.
Informed sources told reporters that due to the prevailing insecurity in the area the communities had formed a vigilance outfit to counter the rampaging renegade militias who recently killed 12 policemen as well as contain the upsurge in piracy in the area.
However, there were conflicting accounts of the incident. While a version of the report claimed that eight youths were shot dead in a shoot out between two armed gangs, the other version by the families of the dead youths claimed that the victims were tricked to the spot of the killing by some hired hands to the militia group.
According to them, “our brothers were set up by some persons in the Lobia community. The report we gathered showed that after they were killed, some community people quickly buried two among them. Others are still missing.”
It was learnt that the suspicious movement of the gunmen on the waters attracted the attention of fishermen who alerted the community development committee executives (CDC).
Contacted on the development, the Media Spokesperson of the Joint Task Force, Lt.Col.Onyeama Nwachukwu confirmed the incident.
He said, “at about 2 am today, there was an armed collision between two armed groups at Lobia 1 in Southern Ijaw Area which led to the death of unspecified number of persons.
“The bodies of the casualty from the armed confrontation are still in the river. Our troops have carried out a cordon and search operation in the community and recovered items including two Ak 47 rifles, one GPMG barrel, six AK47 magazines, with 145 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1 speedboat with 115 HP and 75 HP engines.
It is hoped that this attack would not worsen the already tense situation in the area and lead to a full blown war among different aggrieved fractions