Grief and fear gripped the community of Obelle in Emohua Local Government Area, Rivers State, on Saturday as armed assailants stormed a chiefs’ gathering in Omuwoka village, gunning down the Vice Chairman of the Obelle Council of Chiefs in a shocking daylight assassination.
The slain community leader, simply identified as Chief Dabiri, was attending a scheduled chiefs’ meeting when the assailant—believed to be affiliated with the notorious Iceland cult group—struck with brutal precision.
His son, Joseph Eze Dabiri, confirmed the incident in a phone conversation with Channels Television, stating: “I heard that a guy came with a gun while my father was in a meeting at Omuwoka village in Obelle, shot at him twice and fled.”
Witnesses say the attack was executed by a gang led by a known cultist called Cairo, who arrived at the scene on a motorbike.
Cairo allegedly dismounted, walked up to Chief Dabiri, and fired two close-range shots before ensuring his victim was dead and fleeing the scene.
The brazen assassination sent other chiefs and villagers running for safety.
By evening, fear had blanketed the community, with reports of residents leaving their homes, fearing more attacks.
No formal statement has been issued by the Rivers State Police Command, but residents confirm that the Rumuji Police Division has been informed.
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Military personnel from the nearby Ibaa community have reportedly intensified patrols.
The attack is the latest in a disturbing pattern of cult-related violence in Obelle. Last year, on November 4, 2024, a local vigilante member, Akpata Amadi, was also killed—an act his daughter, Miss Loveth Amadi, attributed to Cairo during a protest at the same Rumuji Police Division.
With Saturday’s killing marking yet another chapter in a series of targeted assassinations, many residents are calling for decisive government action.
“How long will we live in fear?” asked one elder who requested anonymity. “Our leaders are being killed like animals.”
Community advocates are now urging security agencies to launch a full-scale crackdown on cult gangs in the area, warning that failure to act could plunge Obelle into deeper chaos.
Until authorities restore order and bring the perpetrators to justice, peace remains a fragile dream in this once-tranquil Rivers community.