NEWSEXTRA Omoku: When gunmen killed 17 in Rivers
Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, is in the news again. The once peaceful local government area headquarters is always in bad news as a result of violence that beclouds the oil and gas rich communities.
Omoku is the second largest oil and gas producer in the state as it has about 45 crude oil and gas deposit.
Residents of Omoku, Kirigene and Aligwu woke up in the early hours of Monday , January 1, to the invasion of gun-wielding marauders who invaded communities, such as Kirigene, Aligwu, Obohia, Uju and Omoku, in what seemed to be a coordinated attack. Before the residents realised it, more than 17 persons were shot dead.
Prophetess Comfort Ordu, a mother of six, lost her husband, Augustine Ordu, 51, her 15-yearold son, Wisdom, and her daughter, Precious, who was 14 years old, in the gunmen attack. Two of Precious’ friends, Favor Odili and Savioru, who were in their house during the attack, were also shot dead.
Other victims were Jennifer Ohia, her brother, Innocent Ohia; Reuben Idogu; Babu Idogu; Ngozi Ogbuanukwu; Onyi Ogadinma; Nwagaego Ogadinma and Uche Onige.
Comfort Ordu’s family house, located along Augustine Close, in Obohia Agbogwe community, in Omoku, was full of sympathisers when our correspondent visited the family.
Wisdom and Precious, both SS3 and SS2 students of Hallmark Academy were buried on that fateful day, while the remains of their father was deposited in a morgue.
The heartbroken Prophetess Ordu described January 1, 20 18 as a black day, saying she lacked words to actually describe what transpired on that day.
She said, “I have a prophetic and healing ministry, where I attend to people, particularly women. What happened on that fateful day , Monday, January 1, 2018, being New Year, is something I don’t know how to describe. It happened after I prayed with my family members in my parlour for the New Year.
“By 2am, I advised my family members not to go outside because I had foreseen danger. When I did not see two of my children, I was told that they went to where there was carnival show within this vicinity.
“I told my husband to go and look for them. Suddenly, I saw six men enter my compound. They all dressed in black. I heard when they told my sister that they were sent to my house by the government.
“I hid inside one of the rooms. One of my sons and my sister’s son ran away. My sister asked them (gunmen) why they pursued the boys into the house, but they challenged her. I saw them, but, I did not come out because I did not know their mission.
“After they challenged her, they went outside and saw a boy who was coming to call my son so that they could go to the carnival, and shot him dead. I later noticed that they shot my husband and two of my children outside when they were returning home. That was what happened.
“My husband just went out to bring back the children. He did not go outside for the carnival. The gunmen shot them for no just reason. The time they came inside the house, my sister asked what was the problem. They did not say anything. They only said they were from the government. I don’t know who is the government, or what they meant by government.
“I don’t have problem with anybody; my husband did not have issues with anybody, neither did my children. My husband was not a cult member, he was not a politician. I do not belong to any women meeting. It is only my church I know. My own is to pray and attend to people who come here with problems like sicknesses and pregnancy cases. I don’t belong to women groups.
“I lost five persons: my husband, my two children, and my children’s two friends, Saviour (boy) and Favour Odili. My gateman, Desmond, was also shot, but he is hospitalised. He went out with my husband to look for the children,” the sorrowful woman said
She noted that God revealed the incident to her, stressing that she advised her family to stay indoors.
According to her, “As a prophetess, I had the message, and I know I had advised people to be careful about the 2017/2018 crossover. Any time I mounted the pulpit, the message would come, and I gave them the message. I always advised them to be watchful because there was danger ahead, particularly the December 31, 2017 vigil.’’
She noted that Wisdom had wished to be a lawyer or an engineer. “Just as his name is, he was very intelligent, to the extent that if you asked him a question he would give you several answers you would not believe a boy at his age could give.
“Wisdom and Precious were quite amazing children when you talk about education. When they spoke with you, they talked far above their ages. The two children were something else. They behaved as if they had unique gifts in them. They behaved as if they had the gift of prophesy like their mother, especially the girl.
“In fact, sometimes Precious would say that something within her was telling her that she would die young. But I would rebuke her. That was why I always told her to be careful. On career, Precious would always say she would be a fire-fighter expert,” she noted.
The incident that claimed the life of Prophet Ordu’s family was not the first time. Several attempts were made on the family in the past.
She said gunmen visited their home in 2010 and robbed them of their belongings. “When they came that time, they ordered us to lie down. They said they came for me. They searched, but did not see me. They threatened to shoot my husband if I did not come out. When I came out they said I should give them money, or I would lose my life. I told them that I did not have money. Thereafter, they left the house,’’ she disclosed.
Ifeanyi and Chituru, both occupants of the same apartment with Ordu, were lucky as they escaped death by the whiskers. The 23-year- old Ifeanyi said he jumped a fence to escape from the killers.
“When we sighted them inside the compound, my cousin’s friend thought the men were OSPAC (local vigilante) members. But when I saw the guns, I took off. I did not want to know whether they were OSPAC members or not. All of them dressed in black with face caps. I couldn’t recognise any of them. I stayed where I ran to till 7am in the morning. I was in the church hearing gunshots,” he stated.
But Chituru was rather bold to confront the gunmen.
“I was inside the children’s sitting room when I saw two of my cousins run inside. They were shouting OSPAC, and I asked why they were running if the men were vigilante members.
“I went and blocked the door where one of the boys ran into. One of them came there and I asked him why he was chasing the boys. He replied that he came from the government. I followed him to the main parlour, where another of his colleague with a gun ordered me to lie down.
“It was God that gave me the boldness to challenge them. If they were OSPAC, the type of gun they carried was too frightening. I was supposed to be afraid, but it was God that gave me the courage; if not, they would have shot two of my cousins. It was just God that prevented them.”
The Omoku killings have heightened tension across the state. Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, visited the families of the victims and promised to work with security agents to fish out the perpetrators. The governor, who visited Omoku with heads of security agents in the state, gave a price tag of N200million to anybody that would give information on the whereabouts of the perpetrators of the crime.
Wike said the Rivers State Government would not fold its hands and watch its citizens being killed. He urged residents of Omoku to remain calm and cooperate with security agents to arrest the perpetrators of the crime.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Almed, said the command had spread its dragnet to arrest the killers. He said the command would not spare anybody who is directly or indirectly involved in the killings.
Meanwhile, peace has gradually returned to the community, but residents said they were still afraid of what might happen next.