By katherine Abayomi
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council in Rivers State, Chief David Omereji has placed a bounty of 30 million naira on killer gangs terrorising Obele community in the area.
Omereji made the pronouncement on Monday, when he undertook an unscheduled visit to the community, pledging that any individual who provides useful information leading to the arrest of the killer gangs would receive the sum of 10 million, while security agencies including the Department of State Security, DSS, that tracks down the hoodlums within the next 72 hours would get 30 million naira too.
The pronouncement followed the deserting of the community by locals over fear of reprisal attacks from rival cult gangs terrorising the community.
Recall that Obele Community was attacked at the weekend by suspected cultists leading to the deaths of over seven persons.
The council chairman while speaking at the community, stated that it was a challenge to his administration that some criminal elements were making the community unsafe through blood letting of innocent citizens, vowing to resign if the terror gangs are not fished out and made to face the consequences of their actions.
“I have placed a bounty of 10 million naira. Anybody who has useful information that would lead to the arrest of these criminals who came to shed blood in this community, the government of Emohua will work out modalities and this 10 million naira will be paid. Any of the security heads through their men that can apprehend the criminals within 72 hours and bring them to book, including the DSS will be given a reward of 30 million naira. These people, whether their friends, their sponsors you must make sure that those who committed such an evil act, they must be brought to book”, he stated.
The visibly angry LG chairman said it was necessary for the criminals to be apprehended so that the crime is not allowed to escalate to neighbouring communities.
“I have prayed and called the God of heaven, because anything that affects Obele community will be duplicated at Ibaa and it will now trigger to other parts of Emohua LGA, just like the case of Egbeda, when it happened it affected Ubimini and many parts of the other wards.
“How can they come and place fear in the mind of everybody? What will anybody gain? You kill people for no just cause, what a shame. I rather resign than to see these people continue again “, he vowed.
He appealed to people of the community to volunteer necessary information that would help security agencies put an end to the dastardly act, stating that he would continue to visit Obele until the perpetrators are brought to book.
Omereji who maintained that he would not abdicate his duties of protecting lives and properties in the council, thanked the various security agencies for their sacrifices, assuring that such was imperative to end the wave of indiscriminate killings in the community.
On his part, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, incharge of Rumuji Police Station, CSP Larry Augustus who took the chairman’s team round the community, said the police and other sister security agencies were on red alert, and called on those who fled the community to come back.