It was horror and sorrow in Ndoki community of Oyigbo Local Government of Rivers State as hoodlums allegedly overran the community and killed four persons in cold blood and many declared missing after a bloody attack. The trauma and damage caused by the assailants will forever remain indelible in the memory of the people of Ndoki community. If the people of the Ndoki had the slightest premonition of what was about to befall them, they would have armed and defended themselves to the core but unfortunately, man is not God and therefore cannot tell what happens in the next minute as life is full of mystery.
On the 19th of August, this journalist received a disturbing call from a dependable source who doesn’t want his name to appear on print because of security reasons. The source alleged that some hoodlums who were armed to the teeth with machine guns invaded Ndoki community in a commando style and killed four persons in a gruesome manner. During the invasion, Mr Edward Okechukwu, an APC vice Chairman in charge of Ward 5 in Oyigbo were among the people brutally murdered. He was shot in the eye on a close range which caused his instant death. The source further said that after the attack many got missing which till this very moment nobody can authoritatively account their whereabout.
Because of the mix reactions which greeted the attack, this reporter contacted some elderly statesmen in the community with the sole of aim of having a balanced story of what instigated the ruthless mayhem. One of the statesman who goes by the name Chief Onyema (not the original name) said, “it was an unfortunate incident that has befallen us”. “I can authoritatively say that the attackers were from Ogoni”. He further noted that there has been a serious land dispute between the people of Oyigbo and Ogoni indigenes. This disagreement has lingered for sometime now. So it was what precipitated the chaos, he noted.
When this journalist also reached out to one octogenarian in the community asking him if the attack was politically motivated considering the death of Mr Edward Okechukwu, he responded by saying no. There is nothing like that. This has become the norm here. From time to time, such attack keep reoccurring because the Rivers State government has not done much to arrest this escalating tension, the octogenarian said.
Investigation shows that the intractable nature of this crisis has led to the gradual accumulation of light and heavy arms by the warring communities (Ogoni and Oyigbo). This portend a great danger to the safety and security of the citizens. In these two communities presently, young men now spend fortune to procure fire arms against unforeseen contingency.
Stories also abound of how none indigenes who bought landed property within this area that is under heavy contention lost them. Some were beaten up and chased out of the property they spent their hard earned money to develop. For the fear of being killed in the dispute, many have finally accepted the reality on ground by deserting their homes.
From all indication, both past and present government of Rivers State is not showing any form of seriousness in solving this problem. However, the more this brouhaha is allowed to fester, it becomes too difficult to resolve. The Rivers State government must act now before it becomes late. A stitch in time saves nine.
Kalu Nwokoro Idika is a Political Analyst, Investigative and Freelance Journalist.
