ALUU- PARAMOUNT  ruler of Omuda, in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State, Chief Harry Okparaibea, said the butcher of 23 persons, last week, by invading cultists in Omuda, Umuechi, Umuike, Umuahunwo and other Aluu communities was a taboo. Okpraibea, who spoke to Niger Delta Voice, said the community forbids shedding of blood, especially that of the innocent, and as tradition demands, the people would have to appease the gods of the land.

He said if the people appeased the gods, they (gods) would go after the killers, adding that the community would fine indigenes, who fled during the attack because it was an offence for natives to forsake their fatherland in time of trouble. Gunmen believed to be cultists invaded the communities , June 3, killing    a total of 23 persons, including a couple, father and son, nursing mother, town crier and two naval officers.

How they struck: Narrating the gory incident, the ruler said: “Around 8.00 pm, some unknown gunmen stormed into the community and started shooting and they killed nine people from our community. Two of the victims were hospitalized, I do not know their fate but they are still in the hospital writhing in pain.”

“According to our native law and culture,  which have been existing since time immemorial, it is unlawful for blood to be shed on our land, especially that of an innocent person. So since we do not know the people who did this, the community is taking the responsibility to buy all the necessary things that will be used to appease the gods of the land for the innocent blood.

“When blood is shed in this community, it affects the community and that is why we are taking the pains to cleanse our land. We are also making efforts to ensure that this type of thing does not repeat in this community. “We have made attempts to know this people that committed this evil in our community, but we do not know them. We do not have communal problem before. We are in unity as far as I know, but now, we are now living in fear.”

Living in fear

He further staated: “All our tenants are vacating our community because of fear. Even the natives are running out of the community. One of our chiefs ran out with his wife and it is unheard of. He will pay a fine of two goats, where is he running to, when you as a native run out, what do you expect the strangers to do. “When the incident happened the community vacated all the corpses to the mortuary and sent the wounded ones to the hospital.

We do not know most of the people that died in the shooting because they are strangers living in our community. We are calling on people, who know that their persons are living in Aluu to please come for identification.” How I escaped death: A community leader, Mr. Kingsley Okparaibea, who also spoke to our reporter, said: “I was at this our playground that night, 8:10 p.m when a girl ran out from Umuara village and told us that gunmen have taken over the place.

I hide myself somewhere, soon, some boys on three motorcycles advanced to the playground. The motorcycles do not have plate numbers. They stopped, came down and opened fire. They shot for some minutes before driving off. “Many people have packed out of the community and we are facing a lot of problems, because what makes community to be a community is the strangers. Two-third of the people selling in the market are strangers and after the incident, all the shops are locked up. We are praying that what happened should not happen again.

The government should please assist the community by bringing security. To make sure that the community resettles and our tenants return. The incident is affecting our economic life.” Mr. Okparaibea added: “The problem is not as a result of communal problem, it is just that some unknown gunmen came into the community, opened fire and killed people.

Village deserted: Youth president of Omuda community, Mr. Dandison Amadi,    said, “We were outside when unknown gunmen passed through our back and started shooting and we have to run away for our dear lives. “Unfortunately, we recovered so many souls in Omuda, including a husband and wife, father and a child.

The community is now empty. Our own vigilante is trying, but we still need the government at this time to support us so that we can face this type of attack. We are calling on the people, our brothers and sisters that ran out from the community to please come back because there is peace now. The community is now in peace. There are security men all over.

They will never come to our community again. “As our tradition demands, we will appease the gods of the land because innocent blood was shed. Therefore, the chiefs, elders and youths of the community are putting heads together to do the land cleansing. If we appease the gods, they will now go after those people that shed thee innocent blood on our land.

“It is tough to identify the victims. Therefore, we are calling on people, who know that their relatives are in Port Harcourt to call them. If they cannot reach them, they should come to identify the corpses. Nigeria should have a data system that will capture the village of everyone, who comes to Rivers State.”

Vanguard……

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