About eleven persons were feared dead in Omoku, headquarters of Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, following a shooting spree by gunmen who stormed the area Friday night and yesterday afternoon.

It was gathered that the gunmen, who wore masks, shot indiscriminately for several hours on Friday night. They later fled when men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), engaged them in a shootout. The gunmen were said to have regrouped yesterday afternoon to continue the shooting at the market.

Sources fearedthe shooting may not be unconnected with plans by some politicians to hijack the collection of Permanent Voter Cards which commenced in the area on Friday.

Among those killed, sources said, wasa chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who was simply identified as Godspower.

The Chairman of the local government area, Mr Austin Ayamadu, who condemned the incident, appealed to residents to remain calm, assuring that security men had taken charge of the area. Ayamadu said the gunmen went from one street to the other shooting before security men swung into action.

The Chairman, who could not confirm the death toll, said some persons died in the incident.

“Unknown gunmen invaded Omoku and started by killing an elder of the APC and someother people were also killed. The figure I cannot immediately say because of the security situation, but it is more than five,” he said.

Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, who confirmed the development, said it was a clash between rival cult groups, stressing that security men were on top of the situation.

•Adapted from a Sunday Vanguard report.