The increasing wave of kidnapping, cultism and armed robbing in Rivers State took a dangerous turn at the weekend as a prominent politician and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, HRH Diamond Tobin-West was shot by unknown gunmen.
The incident occurred on the ever busy Emohua/Degema road when Tobin-West was returning to Port Harcourt after attending a church service at Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government.
Tobin-West is currently the Amanyanabo of Okpo, a principal community in Kalabari kingdom. He was once aspired to rule Rivers State on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Before he developed the ambition to governing the state, Tobin-West was in 1989 elected as a councilor to represent ward 9 in Asalga.
He was also a one time executive chairman of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area, elected on the platform of defunct United Nigeria People Party (UNPP).
Information had it that the armed gunmen numbering over ten (10) suddenly emerged from the bush as they sighted Tobin-West vehicle and opened fire. By God’s protection, the former gubernatorial aspirant was able to escape the criminals’ bullets.
Nobody knew the identity of the attackers. Some persons who spoke to this weekly observed that the attackers were kidnappers, while other said that they are criminals that terrorizing the area.
However, in the past few months, the Emohua/Degema road has become a safe haven for kidnappers and barely four (4) weeks ago two (2) clergymen from the African Church Diocese, Ven. J. B. Lawson and Ven. Isobo Dokubo were abducted and took to unknown place. The two ministers of God spent about ten (10) days in the abductors’ den before they gained their freedom.
Both commercial and private drivers plying the road are now in constant fear. The criminals are on daily basis rob passengers of their valuable belongings. Fear now gripped Kalabaris who are frequent users of the said road.
The Rivers State government under the leadership of Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has expressed deep concern of the security problems as it directed the council administrators of Asalga, Delga and Akulga to beef up security around and within the area in order to protect lives and property of their people.
Meanwhile three (3) persons were recently killed in Bakana in the Degema Local Government Area. The deceased were attacked by gunmen suspected to be members of a dreaded cult group simply identified as Icelander.
As we are rightly gathered, the deceased were supporters of another cult group.
As the time of filing this report, normalcy has yet to return to Bakana as the residents of the town are still living within fear. ###
