Slaughter of  Defenseless Citizens By Ogbonna Nwuke 

We shouldn’t be in the news as a State, but we are. 15 persons which included women have just been gruesomely murdered. They died while returning to their homes after partaking in activities to mark the end of 2017.

The mere news of the harrowing massacre took many, including my humble self by surprise. I am still yet to either recover from the shock of it, or understand why it all had to happen.

Like everyone else at this time of the year, what was probably uppermost on the minds of the deceased was the celebration; the opportunity to relive the experiences of the outgoing year; and the chance to thank God for His protection.

Had the 15, victims of the January 1 massacre, known death was lurking in the shadows as 2018 rolled in, they would probably had stayed away.

They were slaughtered like bush rats by their killers who obviously picked the scene of attack, and waited patiently for their victims as they made their way in a group back to their various destinations.

There is no doubt that apart from murdering them, these killers equally set out to make a very vicious statement.

Somehow, the assailants did.

Bodies of defenseless men and women, taken by surprise were seen, strewn on the floor in ackward positions where they had been left by merchants of death to die after the attack.

Within ONELGA, the January 1, 2018 massacre left many numb and dumb.

What seemingly looked like an atmosphere of sustainable peace, and what can best be descrubed as an air of liberty which returned after security forces stormed the area last year appears to have been shattered.

A few hours after that incident, the atmosphere in ONELGA is gradually being replaced by a morbid fear and a growing feeling of insecurity as the new year makes its grand entry.

As we busy ourselves saying happy new year, there are people who have become unhappy as a result of the massacre; people who shiver as we contemplate what 2018 has in stock; and people who are more likely to act like cornered rabbits all the year round.

Of course security forces may already be on the trail of the killers who, from all indications, likely left probable signature tips at the scene for investigators to follow.

The police authorities and their associates within the security  world may not like the resurgence of bloodshed, but ONELGA’s murder gangs are back on the prowl.

The audacity of their recent action suggest they have perhaps, overcome their initial worry arising from the presence of too many security personnels in the area.

It may be too that the hit men may have noticed security lapses which they exploited when they struck.

Across the Rivers State which is being presented as a safe haven by the government,  doubts are also emerging after the January 1 attack.

Who really can blame Rivers people?

So much has happened since the Odili days when violence first walked the streets of Rivers State naked. Attempts by the Amaechi administration to scale down violence worked to a large extent but the era of Governor Nyesom Wike after it took centrestage has changed the picture.

As things are, it is difficult to say what the attitude of the Wike government is to crime prevention. He’s had more running battles with law enforcement rather than a clear road map which would guarantee security in the State.

Security checkpoints which formed part of the State’s security architecture have been tactically abandoned due largely as a result of alleged non cooperation on the part of the Rivers State Government.

Yet, the blame game for me isn’t actually necessary. What should actually be up for consideration is the security question. How safe are Rivers people today? How safe can they really be as we head in the direction of 2019?

These are questions that the Wike administration and the security agencies must answer.

The reason for our assertion is not difficult to fathom.

2018 may be brand new, but it occupies an important place in the nation’s political calendar; and so occupies a significant position in the calculation of most political actors who have ambitions.

Such murders, evidence of the brutality of the political class, are not uncommon in Rivers State where a brand of political terrorism is busy rearing it’s ugly head. We have already hinted at this development somewhere in this piece while tracing the evolutionary trend of violence in Rivers State.

In comparison to all the parts of Rivers State, the scourge of violent death appears more paramount in ONELGA at the moment. In all the years that have gone by since the Wike era commenced, what looks like a systematic  massacre of defenseless and unarmed persons has been going on more in ONELGA.

Families have been sent to early graves in the last three years. Property acquired by the victims of ceaseless attacks have been destroyed by groups operating like the Mafia.

The implication is that if utmost care is not taken to nip fresh killings in the bud, many more cases of assassination may be recorded.

In our view, the security agencies have just received an alert in 2018. That alert simply says it is not over yet.

Can this truly be an indication of what to expect? Can it be that our dear State which has earned a reputation as the Rivers of blood will return to an era of blood-chilling killings under our watchful eyes? Could it be that once again people would begin to flee from their homelands as the countdown to 2019 begins?

The other day President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nyesom Wike had a chat. Nobody can tell what the two men discussed. But we can tell, based on the new year address of the President that the administration expressed respect for the people of the Niger Delta.

So, why have we joined Kaduna State early in the year to present a gory gift of death?

It is painful that as Nigerians seek the best means of attracting growth and development, we are saying by our deeds that we desire insecurity, instability and underdevelopment.

I do not seek to condemn foot soldiers who may be engaged in these atrocious acts of murder. They may indeed be on a mission, but this is however not their mission.

We rather condemn the sponsors who may be using them at this time for the realization of their own objective which is to shake down whole populations and create maximum fear in the hearts of men.

These sponsors must be fished out if we must put an end to the kind of killing that we have just witnessed.

Those who sponsor these deadly bids live in our midst and they are usually highly placed. It is time to bring such characters to book, time to remove the mask which shields them from the public glare and time to prove that nobody is above the law.

Only then can we bring justice to all those who have been murdered by armed gangs. And end the spiral of violence which threatens the unity and progress of the Rivers people.

Let’s us stand against the re-emergence of violence now. Acting now would be the best thing to do.