A group, the South-South Human Rights Observatory (SSHRO), has accused the Nigerian Police of attempting to distort facts about an intra-cult clash that claimed nine lives at Abarikpo community in Ahoada-East local government area of Rivers State.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the State, Grace Iringe-Koko, had told journalists that one of the deceased, leader of a cult group in the community, James Bright, popularly known as ‘Borokiri’ was killed during an exchange of gunfire with the police.
But, SSHRO, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said its own findings revealed that the intra-cult clash, which claimed the lives of Borokiri and others, was ignited when he (Borokiri) defected to a faction of the same cult group in the community.
The statement, which was signed by the group’s programme officer, Human Rights, Ella Susan, further revealed that the cult leader defected to the faction of the cult group with an AK-47 rifle and nine magazines belonging to his former faction.
The statement reads in part: “The South South Human Rights Observatory (SSHRO), is shocked by the deliberate attempt of the Nigerian Police to to distort the facts of the Intra Cult carnage that took 9 lives at Abarikpo community in Ahoada East LGA of Rivers state on the night of Wednesday, 14th December, 2022, in a cult rivalry and many others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
“Investigation by our field teams reveal that the clash was ignited when a cultist in the community, James Bright a.k.a. Borokiri, defected to a rival faction within the Icelander cult group. While defecting he took along with him a rifle and nine magazines belonging to his previous cult faction.
“The action of defecting with the rifle angered members of the previous faction,whose leaders is a notorious cultist fondly called 2baba, who immediately mounted an operation to apprehend the defecting member and also to rescue the rifle.
“Our field teams were told by community sources that the defecting member was trailed to a hideout, where a fierce exchange of gun fire took place. In the firefight, nine persons were confirmed dead, while many suffered various types of wounds.
“Some of the dead and wounded, were confirmed to be innocent members of the community who were caught in the deadly crossfire.
“There was no police presence in the community during the incident, so it is a wonder how the police could have claimed to have gunned down three cultists. The DPO of Ahoada Division who is rumoured to be very close to the cultists only arrived after the carnage to retrieve the corpses of the dead,and may have lied to his superiors.
“Our investigators disclosed that the community has been deserted, following fear that the fight may continue to escalate. It was not possible to ascertain the names of the victims, as palpable fear has gripped indigenes of the community, over fear of possible reprisals.
We condemn the violence which is a harbinger of further violence, especially this election season. Ahoada East is fast becoming the epicenter of violence, despite previous efforts to promote peace in the area.”
