Port Harcourt killings: Magnus Abe links killings to hoodlums employed for Electoral violence

Governorship candidate of  Social Democratic Party SDP, Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has linked the current criminalities like, robberies, rival cult clashes and killings in Port Harcourt to hoodlums recruited to cause violence and rig the last elections.

Abe who disclosed this in a live current affairs radio Programme on Nigeria info fm, a Port Harcourt based live radio station, said that the spread of violence is a fallout effect of  the last elections activities of Criminal political recruits.

He said in past few weeks, he has been inaundated with distress calls from residents in Diobu and environs who have forced to be fleeing their homes because of hoodlums who invade house, shot, rob and flee.

He said that it is the statutory duty of the State Government and security agencies to initiate a robust and urgent response to the scary tide of violence before it slips out of control.

On the relocation of the Election Tribunal to Abuja, Abe said there was no way anybody would have been feeling free to go to the Tribunal sessions and feel safe.

 Senator Abe, however, said that the relocation of the Election Tribunal to Abuja is actually not a guarantee that contestants will get justice.

“A situation where you cannot get access to the Tribunal, your people cannot go out of fear, access to justice becomes secondary.

“A situation where we couldn’t get access to the INEC office to get necessary materials to file our petition because it has been blocked, there’s insecurity, to get access to justice becomes secondary”,Abe.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police command has confirmed the killing of a yet to be identified man at Awkwuzu/Lumbumber street Mile 1 Diobu, Port Harcourt on Sunday night.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe Koko confirmed the development.

Residents in the area say the victim is man who hailed from Akwa-Ibom State, live at Awkwuzu Street was ambushed by over ten men and shot severally.

Our correspondent reports that the members of the family of the man who was shot dead was at the Divisional Police headqurters, Mile One to make official complaint.

It was learned that the killing was linked to supremacy battle for territorial between suspected factions of Deygbam (D12 and BS) cult groups.

However, a visit to the area today, Monday April 24,  good number of Police patrol vans, particularly Anti-cultism, other tactical units have been deployed to be patroling Diobu axis of Port Harcourt.