The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed what it called unsubstantiated reports in some sections of the media following a recent attack in Egi land, at Ohali-Elu town of Onelga in Rivers State.
The Police released a statement signed by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Mohammad, on Monday.
The Police said that on Thursday, at about 5:30am, the Police in Ohali-Elu town received reports that unidentified assailants suspected to be herdsmen had struck in the area, leaving one Pastor Geoffery Ogagaghene dead after severe cutlass cuts.
According to him, in the build up to the attack, there was an unreported case of stealing of unspecified number of cattle belonging to some herdsmen allegedly by some youths in the community.
“The case was never reported to the Police, (but) it is reasonably suspected that the attack might have been carried out by the herdsmen as reprisal for stealing their cows,” the Rivers Police Command said.
DSP Mohammad further said that although there were sources that put the death toll at six, the command could only confirm the death of Pastor Geoffery whose corpse was seen.
According to the command, calm has since returned to the town following the heavy deployment of armed mobile policemen to forestall breakdown of law and order.
