Rivers Crisis: Violence mars pro-Amaechi rally

It was a tale of destruction and violence at the Save Rivers Movement Rally at Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State on Sunday.

Members were just about to begin the day’s rally when hundreds of hoodlums pounced on the conveners destroying vehicles and inflicting wounds on anyone at sight.

The hoodlums, who wore masks were said to have shot sporadically mostly at vehicles parked at the venue of the event by state government officials.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, and some journalists were among those that escaped death by a whisker.

Some however sustained serious bullet injuries during the incident that occurred barely a week after a similar rally was disrupted by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

It was learnt that during the latest incident, the militants, who besieged the All Saints Anglican Church venue of the rally, had begun shooting within Bori around 4.30am on Sunday.

They (hoodlums) however marched to the open field and fired at the parked vehicles at about 10. 40am, forcing the SRM members to flee.

The first group of militants arrived wielding cutlasses while the second group came in later, wearing masks and shooting intermittently with sophisticated weapons.

However, the absence of security operatives at the venue made the attackers to have a field day.