Hoodlums kill man, set corpse ablaze in Rivers

Chukwudi Akasike and Friday Amobi, Port Harcourt

Suspected political thugs on Monday March 7, 2016 set a middle-aged man popularly known as Kpom-Kpom ablaze in Buguma Town, the headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the supporters of the People’s Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress in the area had clashed following the killing of the middle-aged man identified as an APC supporter.

Sources in Asari-Toru disclosed that supporters of the APC and PDP resorted to a free-for-all, which caused panic in the area.

Kpom Kpom, according to a source, was clubbed to death before his corpse was dragged by some hoodlums to a sand field close to Buguma New Hospital and set ablaze.

The source, who does not want his name mentioned, said, “The killing of the man made the APC group to go on the rampage and this led to a physical show of strength and exchange of gunfire by some of the supporters of the two political parties.

“There were series of gun shots; so, we had to take cover in our houses. One guy popularly known as Kpom-Kpom, who I think is an APC member was killed and burnt. As I speak with you, there is tension in Burma in Buguma.”

It was gathered that the incident had forced residents of Buguma to flee their homes to neighbouring communities to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, explained that though there was a security breach in the area, he had not been briefed on the details.

Mohammad added that normalcy returned to the area after the intervention of security operatives.

He said, “There was breach of peace on Monday in Buguma community. Normalcy has returned to the area due to the swift response of security operatives that forestalled further breakdown of law and order in the area.”

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the APC in the 2015 election in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has condemned the gruesome murder of Ofinijite Amachree, an APC stalwart in Buguma, Asari-Toru LGA.

Peterside, who spoke in Port Harcourt on Monday, decried the “ongoing mass executions” in Rivers State, describing it as frightening and unprecedented.

“Amachree, who was burnt alive this morning by thugs believed to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party, was first beaten to a pulp before he was set ablaze.”

“The security situation in our dear state is distressing and we cannot continue to live under such a desperate situation. I am therefore using this opportunity to again draw the attention of the world to daily killings taking place in Rivers State.

“Last Friday, Mr. Franklin, APC Ward 4 Chairman in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area was killed and beheaded with his wife in Omoku.

“Franklin who recently moderated APC ward meeting in the LGA hails from the same ward as the State Chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah,” Peterside said.