Tension is mounting in Rivers State following the killing of security officers along Owerri Road in Elele and Omagwa areas of the state by unknown gunmen.
Also, four suspected cult fighters were killed in Diobu, at Okija Street area inside Port Harcourt.
Residents of Rivers State woke up Sunday morning, April 25, to messages announcing the killings that allegedly left 12 persons dead.
Photos of ransacked checkpoints, as well as dead bodies said to be of cult fighters in Diobu, were shared on various social media platforms. Many did not know whether or not to proceed to church services.
Sources from the villages said the killings on Owerri Road took place at about 3am on Sunday.
It was gathered that the armed men acted simultaneously, attacking each checkpoint at the same time. Some of the security agents were said to have been beheaded while some were set ablaze.
The Joint Task Force (JTF) checkpoint was said to be the major target as three persons were killed there. The Customs checkpoint was also attacked, leaving three operatives dead, while the police checkpoint lost two. Customs lost a Hilux van in addition.
It was gathered that attempts by the invaders to attack Isiokpo Divisional Police headquarters were rebuffed.
Nnamdi Omoni, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the killings. He, however, promised to send the details subsequently.
Fears had been rife in Rivers State since the attacks in Owerri began weeks ago. Many feared that the state may soon witness its own share of violence. No group has, however, claimed responsibility for the Rivers killings.
Many ordinary citizens are left wondering what their fate would be with the rising spate of attacks on security agencies.
The killing in Diobu is said to be part of the ongoing inter-cult war since past 48 hours in Okija and D-Line zone. Warnings had gone out for days against moving about in the zone in the evenings. It is not clear what triggered the inter-cult warfare this time around but many fighters have gone down so far, only for the Mile One Police Division to pick bodies every morning.
