Rivers Community Protests Killings of 30 Indigenes

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Udoda community in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State has protested the killing of over 30 indigenes by thugs and suspected military personnel during invasion of the area. The Paramount Ruler of the community, HRH Okaya Gospel, and the Youth President, Peter Francis, who spoke to journalists on the incidents, lamented that indigenes, including a chief, had been killed since the raids and attacks started in 2019.

According to King Gospel, the community was deserted because people’s houses and valuables were burnt and stolen in various invasions and attacks.

The monarch blamed surveillance contractors securing pipelines that crisscrossed the community’s forest for their travails, saying each time the people requested for basic amenities, their voices were quelled with attacks and raids.

Narrating their ordeals, he said: “Many people have died in these attacks and air raids. They used air raids to burn down houses and kill innocent people. Recently, they invaded this community.” 

“ It has been happening since 2019. They came in 2019 with air raids, burnt houses and killed people as well as rendered them homeless. 

“On May 27, 2019, there was a raid in which people were killed. In November 2020, another air raid occurred in which a boy and other five people were killed. 

“On June 15, 2022, another attack occurred again and a chief was killed. On June 27, they entered the community, shot and killed people. They broke doors and stole money worth N30milion, and people were rendered homeless. Over 30 people have been killed in these attacks.”

Gospel insisted that the community had not committed any offence to deserve such maltreatment, and called on the federal government to come to their rescue.

“We need peace, and we urge the government to come and renovate the burnt areas. We don’t have roads, electric power, hospitals and other basic amnesties. People are dying of ill health in their hideout. People can no longer sleep. They should call the military and the contractors to order,” he said.

The Youth President, Francis, on his own, observed that though there were illegal bunkering activities in the bushes, adding that such illegal acts were not happening in the community to warrant air raids and killings of innocent people.

He charged the military and the contractors to direct their operations in the forest and stop venting their anger on innocent indigenes and destroying houses and other property.

He alleged that in the last attack, unknown soldiers aided by some hooligans ransacked people’s houses and stole over N30milion belonging to different people in the community.