Rivers State has once again been thrown into mourning and fear following the brutal killing of a traditional ruler, Chief Ferdinand Dabiri, by gunmen suspected to be members of a notorious cult group.
Dabiri, who was the Vice Chairman of the Obelle Council of Chiefs in Emohua Local Government Area, was shot dead during a meeting of community chiefs in Obelle.
The assailants reportedly invaded the meeting venue at Omuwoka village, Obelle, and opened fire directly on the chief, killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene.
The sudden attack caused chaos, as other chiefs and participants at the gathering ran for their lives. By Saturday evening, several frightened residents had also fled the community for fear of further violence.
Joseph Dabiri, the second son of the deceased monarch, spoke to journalists about the shocking incident. He recounted that a gunman stormed the meeting, shot his father twice, and escaped immediately.
“I was told that while my father was attending a meeting, a guy arrived with a gun, shot him twice, and fled the scene,” he narrated. Joseph also confirmed that the killing had been formally reported to the Rumuji Divisional Police Headquarters. He called for swift investigation and justice for his father’s murder.
As of the time of this report, the Rivers State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the killing of the traditional ruler.
In a related incident, police officers attached to the Azikiwe Division and the Octopus Tactical Unit in Port Harcourt foiled an impending clash between two rival cult groups.
Reports indicated that one of the cult groups was heading towards the main campus of a university in Port Harcourt, allegedly to attack rival members. However, they encountered their opponents along Azikiwe Street/Opobo Lane in the Diobu axis of the state capital, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.
The shootout sparked widespread panic in the area. Eyewitnesses said that shop owners hurriedly closed their businesses while pedestrians and bystanders fled to safety.
The tension forced commercial activities in the vicinity to come to an abrupt halt, as the community grappled with the fear of escalating violence.