Two police escorts killed as gunmen kidnap Shell workers

Armed hoodlums terrorising Ahoada Ndele-Rumuji-Emohua axis of the East-West Road have kidnapped two oil worker in Rivers State, killing two members of their security.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday evening.

The victims, who were said to be senior staff members of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), are said to be returning from an official trip from neighbouring Bayelsa State when the dare-devil hoodlums struck, killing their police security aide and an escort driver attached to the convoy before whisking them away to unknown destination.

It was gathered that the Shell convoy was attacked between Rumuji and Evekwu community on Thursday evening while they were returning from Bayelsa State.

A source in Shell, who preferred anonymity, confirmed that the senior staff members were returning from Bayelsa State at about 4pm with his escort when they were attacked.

In the same vein, a Coaster bus was equally attacked and the driver killed by unknown gunmen along the East/West Road, particularly at the axis of the road fondly referred to as ‘Sambisa Forest’.

The driver of the said bus identified as Jonah Sokolo was allegedly shot dead same Thursday and two of his passengers kidnapped.

A man who claimed to have witnessed the attack told newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday that the driver of the Coaster bus was shot dead after he used the central lock of the vehicle to deny the kidnappers access into the bus.

The attacks occurred a day after four personnel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on official duty to enumerate flooded farmlands in the LGA were abducted.

A fifth NEMA official escaped abduction with bullet injury.

The spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the killings and abductions.

He said that investigations were already on, adding that the criminals would be fished out soon.

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In a related development, a vigilance group in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of the state, ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC), allegedly killed over five cultists in Ubimini community, Emohua LGA of the state.

A source close to the Emohua community alleged that apart from the five dead suspected cultists, three other members of the group sustained bullet wounds in the attack.

OSPAC reportedly visited the community, allegedly under the cultists’ siege, following an invitation by a man conducting a burial.

On sighting the members of OSPAC at the burial venue, the cultists reportedly opened fire on their perceived rival group, resulting in a gun duel that culminated in the killing of the five suspected cultists.

However, the police in the state could not confirm the cultist fights.

Omoni said: “I do not know anything about that. I have not been briefed on it.”