Just In : Asari shot dead as gunshots rocks Port Harcourt
A recent clash between rival cult groups in the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State has claimed the life of a young man identified as Asari on Wednesday night.
According to report, Asari who was in his twenties, was killed at about 7:55 pm along Ekwe/Ikwerre road, Mile 3 Diobu in the metropolis.
Eyewitnesses said āAsariā was standing with some persons when about five armed men came out from a car, rained bullets on him and zoomed off.
Our correspondent who visited the area on Thursday morning gathered from sources that the killing was said to be a supremacy war between two suspected factions of āD12 and Blackiesā cult gangs. One of the eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the cult groups have alliances.
āThe Deygbam cult groups (History and Black Axe Houses) that are affiliated to the D12 and BS houses of Deygbam cult groups respectively
āThey were recently engaged in a shoot out at Elechi beach in Mile 1 Diobu PortHarcourt last Tuesday which claimed two lives. Now the war has spread to Mile 3,ā the source said
The shooting caused pandemonium, as passersby, road users and commuters scampered to safety while roadside traders within the scene hurriedly closed business for the day.
Speaking of the incident, a vigilante and Chief Security Officer of Nkpolu Oroworukwo in Mile 3 Diobu, Godstime Ihunwo, confirmed the identity of the victim.
He disclosed that persons believed to be members of the victimās cult gang carted away his corpse before his team and men of the Rivers State police command returned to the scene. Advertisements Ihunwo stated, āAt about 8 pm on Wednesday, we heard two gunshots at IKwerre road /Ekwe Street opposite Bishop Okoye Street and quickly rushed down to the scene.
āOn reaching there, we saw a young man known and called āAsariā laying dead and immediately we approached the Nkpolu Police station to tender our report. āAs we and the police were coming back to inspect the corpse, we got a report that some unknown gunmen drove with one Jetta and one Mazda and made away with the corpse.ā
When contacted, the spokesperson of Rivers State police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she heard about the incident among the cult groups but was yet to be briefed officially on it. āI will get back to you as soon as I receive the situation report this morning,ā Iringe-Koko said.