Members of Degema community, the headquarters of the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, have rallied at the Government House in Port Harcourt to demand an investigation into the alleged killing of their indigenes by militias.
The protesting community members led by Samuel Wilcox and Miyante Agi, alleged that an armed group believed to be under the command of a notorious ex-militant leader killed members of the community on February 24.
According to them, the victims were en route to a mortuary to attend to funeral arrangements for an elder when they were attacked near the historical old British Consulate.
They lamented that the victims’ bodies, which included individuals serving in the nation’s security forces, including an army officer and a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps are allegedly still being held by the militias.
They claimed the militias had been restricting movements within and around the historical site, claiming that the ex-militant who is not an indigene of the community and has not come from the Local Government Area had purchased the building that served as a consulate from the family of the original owner.
They explained that attack is a deliberate attempt to alienate the non-Kalabari-speaking residents of Degema, further deepening the divisions within the area.
They disclosed that a letter of protest was submitted to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, adding that it undeline their resolve to fight for their rights and protect their heritage.
