While Nigerians and people elsewhere around the world, took time off to celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities despite restrictions and limited resources imposed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the case was different in Luubara Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State following the invasion of suspected gunmen which left two persons dead.
An eyewitness told National Network that trouble began way back in 2019 when the suspect, identified as Odomewa and one of the victims simply known as Bariyaa, were engaged in a fracas which resulted in the victim killing the suspect’s wife.
“Bariyaa and members of his gang had stormed the house of Odomewa in December, 2019 and killed his wife who just delivered a baby and left her in the pool of her blood with the new born baby crying beside her.
“He returned to meet the lifeless body of his wife alongside the weeping baby”, said the eye witness who craved anonymity citing security reasons.
We gathered that following a reconciliatory settlement among all cultists in the area, peace was restored with Odomewa laying his grievances against the victim to rest.
However, the fragile peace was said to have been shattered on the 29th of December, 2020 when the victim reportedly seized a phone belonging to the suspect’s son in Port Harcourt.
Our source said, on hearing that Bariyaa had returned to Luubara for the Christmas celebration, Odomewa had gone to his house to demand his reason for seizing his son’s phone, an action he viewed as violating the peace agreement. He was said to have reminded Bariyaa of the wounds inflicted on him by killing his wife.
“When Odomewa demanded that he hand over the phone, Bariyaa blatantly refused and instead challenged him to do his worst”, narrated our source, adding that unknown to the victim, Odomewa had come there with his boys.
At that point, said our source, one of his boys raised his gun and shot the victim who ran and grabbed a bystander, adding however that the bullet hit both the innocent man and the victim who died on the spot.
Sources from the Bori Divisional Police said no arrests have been made but a phone call placed to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni for comments could not go through despite repeated attempts.
