Five persons are feared dead following chaotic shootings at some local government secretariats in Rivers State after police vacated the council.
Suspected political thugs on Monday morning invaded the Eleme, Ahoada East, Obio-Akpor, Emohua, Khana, and Ikwere secretariats among others protesting against the recently held Local Government elections.
The thugs insisted that officials sworn in by Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Sunday would not access the secretariat after police vacated the councils and declared that the elections were illegal.
It was gathered that the hoodlums shot sporadically within the council buildings and bullets hit and killed about five persons in separate locations.
In Khana Local Council, Benson Ndoonee from Zor Sogho community, who was the assistant Chief Security Officer, and CSO of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, was shot on active duty in front of the Polytechnic Rector’s Lodged.
The Guardian gathered that Mr. Ndoonee was a father to one of the newly elected councilors in the area and had prepared to attend the swearing ceremony of the elected councilor before the sad incident occurred.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, who hails from the area confirmed the incident to The Guardian.
Also, in Ahoada East Local Council, it was learnt that gunmen reportedly shot one dead, the victim is said to be a brother to the Chief of Staff to Government House, Edison Ehie.
Three persons were also allegedly killed in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
It was learnt that the victims mainly youths in their early 20s were gunned down during a sporadic shooting by the suspected political thugs in the area.
There were also shootings in Obio-Akpor Local Council shortly after the Chairman, Chijioke Ihunwo, inaugurated the newly elected councilors.
Friends and well-wishers who came for the inauguration escaped by scaling through the back fence of the secretariat and fled for their lives.
The hometown of the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Ordu, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area was not left behind as protesters besieged the secretariat, and used sticks, and iron to destroy plastic chairs outside the complex.
This came after some protesters blocked the gates in an attempt to stop the newly elected chairman, Mr.Prince Isaac Umejuru from entering the premises.
One of the protester in Onelga said, “the Rivers state assembly under Martins Amaewhule extended the livespam of the Former Council chairmen with six months , the six months is still running and the governor woke up and did a kangaroo election, that is why we say, we will not accept it”
In Eleme Local Government Area, a section of the State secretariat complex was set ablaze. The chairman of Eleme Council, Brain Gokpa, arrived the secretariat with his councillors and realised that the complex has been engulfed with fire.
A visit to the scene later showed youths using water to put out the fire, while the council chairman and some of his supporters including, a former Council Chairmen, Orji Ngofa were seen sitting in front of the burnt office of the newly elected chairmen.
However, the Chairman said, the destruction of the secretariat would not affect his efforts to deliver dividends of governance to the people.
Also, the newly constructed Ikwere Local Government Secretariat was set ablaze while sporadic shootings reigned in the area.
Earlier, the Council chairman, Isreal Abosi, was chased away with his supporters by the thugs but later, the Simplified Movement, mobilised, moved in and displaced the thugs, and took over the secretariat.
There are also reports of invasion and heavy shootings in Emohua, as protesters attempted to take over the complex.
