Sunday, September 15, 2024 -Two people are feared dead following a chaotic shooting during the Ijaw Youth Council election in the Abuloma area of Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The election, organised by the IYC central
zone to elect new executives, had initially been postponed but was rescheduled
for Saturday.
According to reports, the election was
disrupted midway when gunmen stormed the venue and opened fire
indiscriminately.
In the ensuing chaos, members of the council
fled for safety, with two unidentified individuals reportedly struck by stray
bullets. The election was abruptly halted.
In response to the incident, the Rivers
State Police Command launched a manhunt for the gunmen involved in the
invasion.
The state Police Public Relations Officer,
Grace Iringe-Koko, condemned the shooting, describing it as “senseless” in a
statement.
While she did not confirm any casualties, Iringe-Koko stated
that the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had immediately
dispatched tactical units to the scene.
However, by the time police arrived, the
attackers had fled.
“The Rivers State Police Command is aware of
the senseless and sporadic shooting in the Abuloma area during the Ijaw Youth
Council Central Zone elections,” the police statement read. “The Commissioner
of Police swiftly dispatched Tactical Teams to the scene, but the perpetrators
had already escaped.”
Iringe-Koko further stated that the
commissioner had ordered a full-scale crackdown to apprehend those responsible
and bring them to justice.
“Normalcy has returned to the area, and
law-abiding citizens are encouraged to continue their daily activities,” the
statement added, urging residents to report any suspicious activity to the
police.
When asked about the alleged casualties,
Iringe-Koko said the command had not yet received confirmation, adding that
investigations were ongoing.
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