Lawyer allegedly shoots man dead during masquerade display in Rivers

By Davies Iheamnachor

PORT HARCOURT— There was palpable tension in Omoku Town, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, as a lawyer allegedly shot a youth leader, Emmanuel Nkemjika, dead during a masquerade display in the area Monday evening at Omoku.

It was gathered that the lawyer had picked a gun from his car and opened fire after a masquerade allegedly flogged his vehicle with a cane.

It was alleged that bullets hit eight persons, but that one person, Nkemjika, who is the immediate past Treasurer of the Omoku Youth Federation, died on the spot, while others with varying degrees of injury have been hospitalised.

A source, said the deceased was an innocent bystander and not part of the masquerade, but that stray bullet hit him.

The source said the situation later escalated as angry youths allegedly set fire to the lawyer’s family house near Santa Maria and his personal house in Obrikom.

However, the Rivers State Police Command, said it was aware of the development, adding that some suspects linked to the incident have been arrested.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said police have commenced investigation into the development.

Iringe-Koko noted that the incident resulted in one death and multiple injuries, adding that nine members of the masquerade group sustained gunshot wounds in an altercation that ensued.

She said: “At 0700hrs, a report was received at the Omoku Police Division through credible sources stating that about 0130hrs, while some youths were masquerading along Sambo Street, a confrontation occurred involving one Akpudi Ikechukwu and four personnel of the Nigeria Forest Guards Security Service, NFSS. During the incident, nine members of the masquerade group sustained gunshot injuries.

“One of the victims, identified as Obulo, was confirmed dead at the hospital, Omoku, while eight others are currently receiving medical treatment at the same facility.

“Following the incident, Akpudi Ikechukwu and two other suspects were promptly arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, for detailed investigation. Preliminary investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident and the level of culpability of all parties involved.”

Iringe-Koko noted that a joint security team has been deployed in the area to avoid further breakdown of law and order in the area.

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