Gunmen (file photo)

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Nine persons were killed by a group of gunmen who invaded Asarama-toro community, a fishing settlement in Andoni local government area of Rivers State at the early hours of Saturday, this magazine has gathered.

This magazine cannot ascertain the remote or immediate cause of the invasion of the fishing community as at the time of writing this story. But the Chairman of Asarama-toro Community Development Committee, Japheth Blessing, confirmed the incident.

Blessings also urged the state government and security agencies to come to the aid of the community and protect lives and property and restore normalcy to the distraught fishing settlement.

“We are calling on the Governor of Rivers State,the Caretaker Committee Chairman and the Area Commander and Security forces to come to our aid. This is not the first time we are were attacked. Many members of our community have fled our Community for safety.”

It will recalled that 14 persons were shot dead several persons critically injured in Sime in Tai Local Government area in Ogoniland of Rivers State after a bloody cult gang clash in the community in the early hours of  Friday, June 3.

Bob Uelor Nkue, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Tai Local Government confirmed the massacre.

He regretted that the dastardly incident is coming barely a month after Governor Nyesom Wike extended a second round of amnesty programme to four local government areas in the State to give opportunity for members of various cult members to renounce their membership and surrender their weapons.

But a former federal lawmaker,  Jacobson Nbina Barenaka who represented Tai, Elements, Oyigbo federal constituency said the massacre in Sime community was due to cult gang clash.

According to him, the attack on the community was a vengeful mission by gang members of a notorious kidnapper popularly known as “Supreme” who was using Sime Community as hideout for his criminal operations. He revealed that ‘Supreme’ was recently killed by security agencies.

According to Barenaka, “Our Community was used by “Supreme” the notorious kidnapper as camp and operational base even when he is from Eleme Local Government. Based on the nefarious activities of “Supreme” and his gang, security agencies were tipped off and the gang leader was killed.”

“The gang members of  “Supreme,” are the ones who came to my community.  At the last count, 16 persons have been killed in my community,” the former lawmaker said.

The State government and Rivers State Police Command were yet to react to the latest onslaughts at the time of filing the report.