There was pandemonium in Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State as men and officers of the State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) moved into the community.
No fewer than sixty seven (67) suspects including chiefs were arrested during the raid.
The reason for the raid of the entire community as we are gathered was the recent killing in Buguma, headquarters of the council. The Asalga LGA in the past six (6) years has become a safe place for cultists, kidnappers and hoodlums.
Arms struggle is the order of the day, thus the residents of the area are now living in perpetual fear. Lives and properties are no longer safe in the area. Our correspondent who visited the area reported that the raid by the officers of SARS has brought relatively peace in the LGA. According to the report, most of the cultists and hoodlums were caught during the raid. The raid last for about two (2) days. However, some of the ardent criminals and cultists escaped.
Our investigation show that, some big men in the area in collaboration with the Amanyanabo of Kalabari kingdom, HM. King Prof. T.J.T Princewill, Amachree XI invited the security agents to fish out those who are terrorizing the area. No fewer than twenty (20) vans loaded with the armed security men attached to SARS entered the community to commence the door-to-door search to arrest the hoodlums.
Before the last week raid, there was a clash between members of White Chelsea Cult group, and Kengema Unity Forum. The clash claimed the lives of many persons from both sides. These two groups: White Chelsea Cult and Kengema Unity Forum are always at logger head. The White Chelsea Cult as we were told has the backing of the council boss, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, while the Kengema Unity Forum is under the watchful eyes of a repented militant in the Niger Delta sub-region, Sobomabo Jackrich, alias Egberipapa. The people of the area have applauded the raid, alleging that so many cult groups exist in the LGA namely D12 Cult, Iceland Cult and Debam Cult. The LGA has become a theater of war in recent time.
Precisely, September 18, 2013 Egberipapa through his Counsel, T. A. Dick, Esq sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Forces Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja. In the said petition, Egberipapa stated on how with the aid of the council chairman, Mr. Flag Amachree, cultists disturb the area. According to the petition, “the council chairman had prior to this time secured the services of Boss Nkpalla and Carpo aka Cripple very deadly, members of a faction of the Icelanders cult group whom, together with their other cult faithful, the council chairman has appointed as revenue agents to collect illegal sums ranging from N50,000 and above from Buguma indigenes wanting to develop on their ancestral lands, failure to comply and the victim is met with wide range of violent and destructive actions”.
The ex-militants further alleged that the officers of the JTF in the area have connived with the council chairman and unleash mayhem on his perceived enemies.
This Egberipapa described as the “injustice of the highest order”, saying that if not quickly address, it would bring untold hardship in the area. ####
