Omoku town in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Council of Rivers State was thrown into shock and mourning on Thursday evening following a violent attack by gunmen suspected to be cultists, which claimed the lives of two people, including the President of the Omoku Youth Federation, Comrade Ifeanyi Azuazu.
The incident occurred at a popular drinking establishment along Ogolo Street, off Palace Road, in Omoku, the headquarters of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State.
Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, about seven in number, arrived in the area in two vehicles and immediately identified their target.
Upon sighting Azuazu, the gunmen reportedly pointed their weapons at him and ordered him to enter one of the vehicles.
Trouble, however, ensued when Chigozie Oluwu, said to be the youth leader’s personal aide, attempted to intervene. He was immediately shot dead by the gunmen.
The attackers then forcibly abducted Comrade Azuazu and sped off.
The attack caused widespread panic in the area, with residents and passersby scrambling for safety and business owners hurriedly shuttering their shops amid fears of further violence.
Hopes that the abducted youth leader would be rescued alive were dashed on Friday afternoon when the ONELGA Security and Planning Advisory Committee (OSPAC) confirmed the recovery of his headless, lifeless body in a forest in Omoku.
Confirming developments in a telephone interview, the OSPAC spokesperson in ONELGA, Mr. Godnews Nkem, said the corpse of Comrade Azuazu was discovered several hours after his abduction.
According to Nkem, while Chigozie Oluwu was killed during the attack, the youth president was taken away alive and later murdered by his captors.
“OSPAC operatives, working with other local security networks, recovered the headless body of the Omoku Youth Federation President in a forest on Friday afternoon,” Nkem said.
He described the killing as brutal and unfortunate, urging Omoku residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
Nkem added that security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other relevant bodies, have begun investigations to identify and arrest those responsible for the killings.
Residents of Omoku expressed deep fear and anger over the incident, calling it another blow to peace in the area. Some community members urged the state government and security agencies to urgently step up security to prevent further attacks.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Rivers State Police Command were unsuccessful as at press time.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Grace Iringe Koko, who was contacted by our correspondent, said she would provide details but had not done so as of the time of filing this report.
The killing of the youth leader has heightened tensions in Omoku and surrounding communities, with residents calling for swift justice and decisive action to curb cult-related violence in the area.
