Gunmen kill 9 in Nigeria’s oil state of Rivers
6 April 2015 5:18 AM IST
Gunmen stormed two communities in Nigeria’s southern oil state of Rivers, killing at least nine people and injuring two others a week ahead of a gubernatorial election, police said on Saturday.
“It was about 19:30 hours of Friday. Some unknown armed men invaded Obrikom and Obor communities and went on a shooting spree,” state police spokesman Ahmad Muhammad said in a statement. Muhammad said an initial death toll of six had risen to nine. The assailants also set ablaze the house of a local politician, Vincent Ogbagu, who is a state parliament candidate in the April 11 election, he said.
Police were looking for the assailants, Muhammad said.Elections for state governor and parliament are scheduled to take place on April 11 in about 30 Nigerian states, including Rivers and Lagos.
Obrikom and Obor are neighbouring communities in Rivers, one of Nigeria’s most restive states.
RIvers has been controlled by president-elect Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition All Progressives Congress since state governor Rotimi Amaechi defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party last in 2013.
“It was about 19:30 hours of Friday. Some unknown armed men invaded Obrikom and Obor communities and went on a shooting spree,” state police spokesman Ahmad Muhammad said in a statement. Muhammad said an initial death toll of six had risen to nine. The assailants also set ablaze the house of a local politician, Vincent Ogbagu, who is a state parliament candidate in the April 11 election, he said.
Police were looking for the assailants, Muhammad said.Elections for state governor and parliament are scheduled to take place on April 11 in about 30 Nigerian states, including Rivers and Lagos.
Obrikom and Obor are neighbouring communities in Rivers, one of Nigeria’s most restive states.
RIvers has been controlled by president-elect Muhammadu Buhari’s opposition All Progressives Congress since state governor Rotimi Amaechi defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party last in 2013.
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