… Set Houses Ablaze In
The serene community of Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State was over the weekend disrupted as cultists embarked on a mission to take lives and burn people’s homes.
The attack was reportedly targeted at members of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the community.
At the last count, the cultists had torched a number of houses belonging to certain political leaders in the area.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that members of Degbam cult group in the area took the action to retaliate over the death of their leader, ThankGod Wondikom, who was allegedly shot dead by the police in Rivers State.
The source said that the leader of Degbam cult group and other members were wanted for allegedly killing a relative of the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Prof. Blessing Didia, who is from the community.
According to the source, the leader of the cult group and other members had gone to the compound of Prof. Blessing Didia to hijack electoral materials during the last election but were resisted by some youths of the area.
He said that the Degbam cult leader and his group members opened fire on the youths and shot dead a cousin of the Vice Chancellor.
The source said that the police in Rivers State caught the Degbam cult leader last week and had taken him away.
He said that members of the cult group vowed that they would kill all political leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the community and would set their houses ablaze for the death of their leader.
He said that the cultists set ablaze the home of the Vice Chancellor of the State University, Prof. Didia, on Saturday, adding that they also set ablaze the home of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the local government area, Hon. Sunny Wondikom, on Sunday night.
According to him, the cultists also set ablaze other houses of some political leaders in the community.
The source said that the leader of the Degbam cult group, ThankGod Wondikom, who was allegedly shot dead by the police, was a younger brother of the chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Ikwerre local government area.
He said that the cultists also shot dead a young man in Omerelu on Saturday, who was a member of Peoples Democratic Party in the local government area, saying that another young man who was shot was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
The source further said that an old woman was burnt to death on Saturday as the cultists set houses ablaze in the community.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Rivers State, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said that he had not got report on the incident.
