By Jimitota Onoyume, Port Harcourt

For about four hours last Friday  unknown gunmen seized Omoku, headquarters of Ogba Egbema Ndoni local government area, shooting unchallenged and finally left in their trail about 25 corpses.

Soldiers and policemen were reportedly in the area but they kept their distance from the scene of the shootings. Residents were helpless as they ran indoors, not knowing what fate will befall them should they fall into the hands of the callous and heartless assassins who were armed  with guns and battle axes.

My son, two others killed in my compound — Septuagenarian

Seventy two-year-old  Martin Uge said his son, Elemchukwu, was among three persons shot dead in his house at number 19 Umumeci Street. According to him, the gunmen knew their targets because they did not touch him, his wife and the other children in his own wing of the house. He added that the only question they asked him was if he had a phone. “I told them I didn’t have.

Searching the ceiling

They collected my wife’s phone. Searched our ceiling and everywhere in my apartment before going inside the compound. They did not touch us, “ he said.
When asked if he recognised any one or could place their ages, his response captured the fear while the killers operated: “I did not look at their faces because that could have resulted to another thing. How many they were I don’t know“.

The septuagenarian paused at a point, gazing at the floor in his sitting room and said his third son,  Elemchukwu, was killed when the assassins went into his compound. He said they killed the son in his room while the killers marched two other of his tenants outside the compound and shot them dead.

Govt should stop senseless killings

He said his son was not a politician and had noting to do with politics. “ He was 32 years old and was a butcher. My in- law(his son’s wife) sustained gunshot injury. “ Continuing, he said the marriage had not been blessed with a child before the sad incident.

*Pa Uge…son killed

The 72-year-old man who was yet to recover from the incident that claimed the lives of about 25 persons in Omoku said “government can stop the senseless killings in the area if it truly wanted to”. They have the army, the Police. What else can innocent and harmless citizens do when there are those armed with guns to protect lives and properties, “ he said.

I don’t know why they beheaded my husband  — Widow
Like Pa Uge, Mrs Helen Ahiakwo said she did not know what provoked the mindless killings that night. Her 42-year-old husband, Emeka Ahiakwo, was beheaded that night by the rampaging assasins at their Umuchikere Street residence.

“I don’t know what happened. They just called me that my husband was dead. He was a fitter before he was beheaded.”

She sobbed, rolled on the mat she sat on in the sitting room as she spoke. “ We were married for 20 years and we had six children. Where will I start from. I am a just a house wife,” she cried.

The remains of the husband was buried in a fresh grave in front of the two room bungalow they lived. Three of the children who should be in school were at home.

They killed my two sons in front of our house — Madam Nze
Madam Blessing Nze said they killed two of her sons at her residence on Umuemegi Street. “I don’t know what happened. They came and killed them in front of our house.

Dragging of the younger brother

I had three sons but now two are no more, “ she said with tears streaming down her cheeks.

They killed my brother and his wife — Udoji

Bishop Udoji, a Pastor, said the gunmen first banged on his door, smashed his windows when they came to their family house on Dr Innocent Mazi Street before moving to his father’s end of the house where his younger brother and the wife lived.

He said the assassins dragged the younger brother and the wife outside and shot them dead.

“We started hearing gunshots from 9pm till about 11 pm that Friday night . They banged on my doors for several hours, broke the windows but we did not come out. Later they moved over to my father’s side, smashed the windows and pulled out the burglary proof.

*Elemchukwu…killed

The gunshot was everywhere. It was something else. I think about 25 persons were killed that night.

They killed my younger brother, Ekpelum Ugoji and his wife outside the compound, “ he said.

They left with about ten human heads: Vanguard Features gathered that the assassins left with the heads of about ten of those killed.
What will the killers do with the heads,what is the offence of those killed that their killers will also disappear with their heads? These were some of the many questions on the lips of many in Omoku when VF visited.

The entire Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area has been in the news for over five years for similar mindless killings. Some have traced the crisis to cult war linked to oil in the area since the local government plays host to two major multinational oil firms.

The ugly situation heightened as it became difficult in recent time to separate party politics, cultism and struggle for attention from multinational oil firms in the area in most of the crisis.
The state Police Spokesman, DSP Ahmad Muhamaad, said preliminary investigation showed that the killings last Friday had to do with battle for supremacy by rival cult groups.

The incident happened barely 24 hours after a former member of the Fifth House of Assembly, Monday Eleanya who represented the area in the House of Assembly was shot dead in Port Harcourt by unknown gunmen.

CTC Chair begs for peace

Media aide to the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government area, Mr Hopeson Daki, in a chat with the VF passionately appealed to stakeholders in the local government to sink their party differences and unite to end the crisis. He said the killings had nothing to do with politics.

Nothing to do with politics

“They don’t ask if you are a member of PDP or APC when they come to kill. They just do their dirty jobs and leave. Let us all unite to end this mindless killings, “ he pleaded,
Residents who spoke said the military and other security agencies should intensify their operations in the area. Curiously,the killings occurred after the military raided the area for arms and hoodlums.

“The soldiers and the Police should do more. You can’t imagine that the boys shot for about four hours with no resistance from any security body. We only started seeing security men on the streets the following day after the killing,” a resident, who did not want her name in print, said.