Panic has gripped Kpong Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State after suspected armed men abducted and gruesomely beheaded a local farmer, Mr. Samuel Nwimeabe, in broad daylight on Monday.
Eyewitnesses said the victim was attacked while returning from the farm with his wife and daughter. His wife, Mrs. Godgift Nwimeabe, recounted that they were walking home when she noticed a man bending by the roadside. Before they could react, three armed men suddenly emerged from the bush and confronted them. One of the attackers seized her husband while the others chased her as she fled with her daughter. Moments later, gunshots rang out. A search party later found Mr. Nwimeabe’s body in the bush — beheaded.
A community leader, Dr. John Bariyaa, described the killing as a shocking and barbaric act that has once again shattered the peace of Kpong. He recalled that on June 2, another resident of the community was killed in a similar manner. According to him, Kpong is a peace-loving and hospitable community, but repeated attacks have left residents living in fear. He called on the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies to urgently intervene to prevent further bloodshed.
The Chairman of the Kpong Community Development Committee (CDC), Mr. Gbarabe Peter, also condemned the attack. He said that upon hearing gunshots, he sent people to report the matter to the police station and later accompanied the victim’s parents to the area command to file a petition.
Mr. Peter explained that the next morning, he mobilised local youths to go to the farm, declaring that if the attackers wanted to kill them all, they would face them there so that the Federal Government would be aware of the killings. At the farm, they found Mr. Nwimeabe’s decapitated body. The police and other security agents were called to the scene, where they took photographs and documented the crime. Because the road was impassable, the corpse had to be transported back to the community on motorcycles.
He further alleged that the attackers came from a neighbouring community and that such assaults on Kpong have been frequent. He urged the government and security agencies to move directly into their farmlands, which he claimed was the base of the assailants, to ensure justice and end the violence.
Residents say the attackers have been terrorising the area for months despite repeated appeals to authorities. Many fear that without swift action, more lives will be lost.
As at the time of filing this report, our correspondent had made efforts to confirm the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, but she had not responded to calls and messages due to other engagement. We shall update the public once a response is received. Similarly, attempts to speak with the Sole Administrator of Khana Local Government Area, Prof. Bariledum Nwibere, were unsuccessful, he didn’t pick our calls and has not responded to our messages. For now, fear hangs heavily over Kpong Community, with many residents too afraid to go to their farms or travel alone on bush paths.
