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Cult Killings: Odili Sacks Exco – 18 More Murdered
September 2, 2004
Tony Ita Etim and Dennis Naku
allafrica.com
RIVERS State governor, Dr. Peter Odili, yesterday sacked the state executive council (exco), over worsening security situation in the state.
The governor’s shocking action came just as another 18 persons might have been killed by gun-totting “cultists” in the state capital, Port Harcourt, Tuesday night.
Already a joint military/police task force is now patrolling Port Harcourt streets.
Dr. Odili, who cut short his two-week annual vacation overseas to return to Port Harcourt, Wednesdays directed all his commissioners and the Secretary to State Government (SSG) to immediately hand over to their permanent secretaries.
The “Garden City” had woken up yesterday to another news of fresh violence in which about 18 persons might have been murdered.
However, the police said only five people were killed in the fresh attack even as a pressure group, the Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC), charged that politicians be blamed for the escalating wave of killings.
In a broadcast yesterday, the governor lamented that in spite of the resources spent on internal security cultism had continued unabated.
The governor who cut short his holiday abroad, stated that activities of cultists had necessitated stepping up security in all parts of the state.
“In recent times however, Rivers State has been faced with crime wave that has taken a new dimension.
“Our youths have been colluding with external enemies and ventured into the dangerous and despicable act of gangsters’ cultism, involvement in illegal oil bunkering business and amassing sophisticated offensive weapons and ammunition to defend their illegal activities.
“The supremacy and rivalry by these hoodlums has resulted in several raids even though the hoodlums primarily target themselves for elimination.
“Rather unfortunate, these dastardly acts often take place within township and innocent citizens are caught by the crossfire or affected by their misconduct aggravated by in-take of drugs and alcohol.”
The governor said security agents should go to the villages to fish out the suspected cultists and criminals in their hideouts to face prosecution.
He assured of the government’s commitment to ensure maximum security in the state.
For more than two weeks now, killers, suspected to be cultists, have visited a wave of violence on the city intermittently with rising death toll.
In the latest attacks, a group of gunmen swooped on the Warri Street by Abak Street area of D. Line in the capital, and opened fire on a crowd of revellers in the busy evening-time area.
Their prime target was “The Platform Restaurant” operated at No. 10 Warri Street.
But, pressure group Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC) charged that politicians should be held accountable for the recurring wave of mayhem and brazen killings.
Eye witnesses told Daily Champion yesterday morning at the scene of the latest killings that gunmen operating in Mercedes Benz cars stormed the neighbourhood about 9.00 pm Tuesday and promptly opened fire on hapless diners, drinkers and others relaxing in the area very well known for joints and suya (skewered meant) spots.
The gunmen later escaped through Sangana Street and were shooting indiscriminately.
When our correspondents visited “The Platform Restaurant” yesterday, a pool of blood, with a lady’s scarf, abandoned shoes and broken bottles as well as bullet marks on the walls and glass windows, broken aluminum glass showcases were some of the tell-tale marks left at the scene.
Though frightened neighbours claimed they did not know any of the victims, some Hausa traders told our correspondents that at least six persons died on the spot.
Other persons, whe spoke with our correspondents insisted that up to nine persons were killed in the restaurant alone, while another nine were killed when the gunmen were escaping, and scores of others were also wounded.
But, the state police commissioner Mr. Slyvester Araba told Daily Champion on the telephone yesterday that five persons were killed.
Araba also confirmed that two of the gunmen had been arrested, while a Mercedes Benz 190 and Mercedes Benz V-Boot 200 cars were recovered.
The commissioner said there was no attack in any other spot in the area that evening except at the restaurant, insisting that no person was killed at Sangana street.
Rather, Araba explained, the gunmen after shooting at Warri Street escaped through Sangana Street until those arrested were trapped in the vehicles while the others escaped.
Meanwhile, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the NDCSC blamed politicians for the resurgence of violence.
The statement was signed by Mr. Ledum Mitee, president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP); Mr. Robert Aziba Ola, president of Niger Delta Human and Environmental Rescue Organisation (NDHERO) and Mr. Anyakwe Nsirimoru, executive director institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (IHRHL).
The coalition declared that it was not sufficient to simply write off the violence as activities of cultism when there were “clear political undertones” to many of the incidents.
According to the coalition, “there is no hiding from the fact that the current resort to violence has its roots in the use of armed gangs to secure political offices.”
It charged that there had been no effective prosecution of any sponsor of such violence in the past two years, hence it demanded a clear and disciplined effort from all security services which should put the lives of the ordinary people at the head of their agenda while the state and Federal Government should take prompt action to arrest the situation.
The impact of this violence, in terms of lives lost and those injured and displaced, the coalition insisted, is now at the level where the state and federal authorities have to provide security for ordinary people as well meaningful rehabilitation of those affected.
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