Police probe killing of two security chiefs in Rivers
The Rivers State Police Command has launched an investigation into the killing of a vigilante commander and a former local government security chief in separate attacks days apart.
The Rivers State Police Command has launched an investigation into the killing of two local security chiefs in separate attacks that occurred within days of each other. The deaths have heightened fears of a possible return to the pre-election violence that preceded previous general elections in the state.
Ozoemela Stephen Wokocha, commander of the Omoku branch of the ONELGA Security and Peace Advisory Committee (OSPAC), and three other people were killed on July 22. Less than a week later, Letam Kinee, former Chief Security Officer of Khana Local Government Area, was reportedly killed by yet-to-be-identified assailants in Bori.
The state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, described the incidents as “unfortunate, disturbing and a threat to the relative peace currently being enjoyed in Rivers State”. Police spokesperson Agabe Blessing Kaborlo assured the public that those responsible would be identified, arrested and made to face the full weight of the law. The command has also appealed to community-based security groups to work closely with the police to prevent members from becoming targets of criminal elements.
Lesi Maol, president of KAGOTE, the Ogoni umbrella body, condemned the killing and announced a ₦2 million reward for credible information that could lead to the identification and arrest of the attackers. Chizzy Enyi, publicity secretary of the African Democratic Congress in Rivers State, described the incident as a painful reminder of the worsening security challenges confronting the state and urged the police to ensure the case does not become another unresolved crime.
The killings come at a time of heightened political tension in Rivers State, raising concerns that the violence could be linked to the upcoming elections. The police have assured the public that they are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice, but the attacks have exposed the fragility of the state’s security architecture.
This echoes the 2023 pre-election violence in Rivers State, which also involved the targeting of local security officials. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a state struggling to maintain security ahead of elections.
The winners: none. The losers: the families of the deceased; the communities that have lost their security chiefs; and the Rivers State Government, which faces renewed security challenges.
Bottom Line: Two security chiefs are dead in Rivers State. The police are investigating. The fear of election violence is real. The question is whether justice will be done or the case will join the long list of unresolved crimes.