The gory and dastardly killings of innocent and helpless Rivers men, women and children in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, by a group of gunmen, in the wee hours of Monday, New Year Eve ushering in 2018, has again exposed how worthless human lives have become in today’s Rivers State.

This senseless and unprovoked act of brazen bestiality was carried out by yet to be identified assassins, against unsuspecting Rivers people, whose precious lives were gruesomely cut short as they were returning home from Crossover Church Services in worship and thanksgiving to God Almighty for the Grace and privilege of seeing the dawn of another year.

On that same night, two young men were murdered at Abonnema in Akuku-Toru LGA of the state in what was referred to as clashes among rival cult groups.

These 2018 New Year Eve massacres in ONELGA and AKULGA have not only underlined the demonic bloodthirstiness that has overtaken our dear Rivers state especially since 2015, but also highlighted the very precarious nature of our existence in a state where insecurity and impunity have become the hallmarks of a government that politicises the safety of the lives of its people.

My heartfelt sympathy and deep condolences go out to the mourning and grieving families and people of Kirigani and Oboh clans of Aligwu community in Omoku, the Abonnema community as well as the entire Rivers people, who have been greatly affected by this unbridled violence on the very first day of 2018.

These ungodly and nefarious acts do not only diminish us considerably as a people, they expose the ineptitude, complicity and culpability of the current Rivers State government in the bloodletting that has become synonymous with the state.

Those Rivers sons and daughters; our friends and relatives who lost their lives to those ugly occurrences do not deserve to die in such barbaric manner; and by this horrific experiences, we should be reminded once more of the greater task of ensuring a saner society that is safe and conducive for all.

The 2018 New Year Eve killings further justify the call by well-meaning people for the Federal Government to beef up its security architecture in Rivers State in order to protect and secure the lives of Rivers people and ensure that these orchestrated atrocities are brought to a decisive end.

I pray that God Almighty gives the bereaved families the fortitude, resilience and wisdom to bear this irreplaceable loss of innocent souls. I enjoin all well-meaning Rivers people to pray and commit our dear Rivers State into God’s care for the remaining days of 2018 and beyond.

•Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs is Chairman, DLB Group and of Platform Petroleum, Port Harcourt/Lagos.

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