Gunmen suspected to be members of the Iceland cult group have killed Chief Ferdinand Dabiri, the Vice Chairman of the Obelle Community Council of Chiefs in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to community sources who spoke with DAILY GAZETTE, the fatal shooting occurred on Saturday evening, triggering widespread panic and leading many residents to flee the area for fear of further violence.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers were led by a notorious cult leader identified as Cairo.
The gang stormed the meeting venue where Chief Dabiri and other traditional leaders had gathered.
A local source in Obelle recounted the harrowing scene:
“Cairo came down from a motorbike with a gun, walked straight to Chief Dabiri, shot him twice and left after confirming that he was dead.”
The incident caused chaos in the area, with other chiefs reportedly running for their lives. Some residents also fled the community by Saturday evening as tension escalated.
Chief Dabiri’s second son, Joseph Eze Dabiri, confirmed the killing to reporters.
“I heard that a guy came with gun while my father was in a meeting at Omuwoka village in Obelle, shot at him twice and fled on Saturday evening,” he said.
DAILY GAZETTE recalls that in November last year, women from the community had staged a protest to the Rumuji Police Division in Emohua LGA. During the protest, they accused Cairo, the same cult figure, of murdering Akpata Amadi, a member of the local vigilante group in Obelle.
Police spokesperson in Rivers State, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the latest incident and assured the public that authorities are actively investigating.
“Investigation is ongoing,” she said, adding that, “the culprits will be apprehended.”
