Gunmen believed to be members of the Iceland cult group launched a deadly assault late Monday night on a local vigilante base near the Ahoada East Council Secretariat in Rivers State, leaving a police officer and a vigilante operative dead. The brazen attack has deepened tension in the community already unsettled by recent political unrest.
Heavy gunfire erupted around 9 p.m. near the secretariat, causing panic among residents of Ahoada East. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers stormed the OSPAC office adjacent to the council building and opened fire indiscriminately before escaping under the cover of darkness.
The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that the attackers were led by two identified cult leaders—Umegbewe Kingsley, popularly known as ‘Gutam’, and one Opaka—both alleged to be commanders of the Iceland cult. The victims have been identified as OSPAC operative Ngozi Ipah and Police Corporal Francis Friday, who was attached to the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) on duty at the council.
According to a statement by Police Public Relations Officer SP Grace Iringe-Koko, both men suffered multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Ahoada General Hospital. Their remains have since been deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy.
This deadly strike came just days after the council’s sole administrator was reportedly forced by youths to sign a resignation letter—a claim he has denied. The escalation has raised questions about growing insecurity in the local government and the influence of cult networks.
Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, has visited the crime scene and ordered an immediate manhunt for the perpetrators. Tactical units have been deployed, and surveillance tightened across the area to prevent further bloodshed.
The police have urged residents to remain calm and assist security agencies with credible intelligence. “Justice will be swift. These criminals will not go unpunished,” CP Disu assured.
