No fewer than eight people have been shot by some angry individuals identified to be members of a local vigilante group in Elele town, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
However, police in the state said that four people were shot in the incident that happened on Wednesday at Elele around-about on the Port Harcourt Owerri road.
It was gathered that the gunmen, who are suspected to be members of Elele Security Planning and Advisory Committee (ESPAC) had swopped on some youths of the area who were discussing the political crisis in the state and opened fire on them.
At press time, it was not clear what the reason for the shooting was, but it was reliably gathered that over eight people sustained bullet wounds.
A source in the area who did not disclose his name alleged, “This happened in Elele town, Ikwerre LGA, where the OSPAC commander of Elele, who incidentally leader of a faction of PDP in Elele, came out and opened firearms on the supporters of Gov. Sim Fubara, a number of them are in the hospital now with bullet wounds.
“The said commander has threatened to kill all the members of Gov. Sim Fubara’s supporters in Elele in the face of all odds; the then chairman could not do anything about it; today, he has executed the first part and has threatened to continue. We urge the security agencies to have him arrested for prosecution.”
However, the Rivers State Police Command said it has arrested one suspect in connection with the shooting at Elele Town.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, noted that the hoodlums, after the shooting, fled, but one suspect was arrested.
Iringe-Koko said: “The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public of a violent attack at Elele Roundabout on the morning of March 5, 2025, at about 7 am.
“Acting on credible intelligence regarding the unlawful assembly of suspected hoodlums at the location, a patrol team from Elele Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), swiftly mobilized to the scene to restore order.
“During an attempt to address the crowd, an unidentified assailant, hiding within the vicinity, opened fire, resulting in multiple injuries. As of press time, the number of those injured stood at four.
“The armed hoodlums fled the scene immediately, but one of them was apprehended, and a single-barrel gun was recovered from him. The injured victims were promptly rushed to various hospitals in Elele for medical attention.
“A manhunt is currently underway for the fleeing suspects, some of whom have been identified as members of the local vigilante group known as OSPAC. The arrested suspect, along with the recovered firearm, will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.
“The Rivers State Police Command assures the public that all perpetrators involved in this criminal act will be apprehended and brought to justice. Further updates will be communicated in due course.”
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