Residents of Ikuru Town in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have been placed under a dusk-to-dawn curfew following the alleged killing of a member of a local vigilance group.
The Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council, Mr. Lucky Otuo, announced the restriction as part of urgent measures to restore calm and prevent further violence in the area.
Otuo also ordered the immediate suspension of all vigilance group activities, stressing the council’s resolve to safeguard lives and property.
The decision followed reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, with the victim allegedly killed amid a clash linked to rivalry between his security group and some youths in the community.
Reacting to the development, the socio-cultural organisation, Utono Obolo Worldwide, condemned the killing and called for swift intervention by security agencies.
In a statement, its Administrator-General, Dr. Romsan Dressman, described the incident as troubling and indicative of growing security concerns in the area.
“We have observed with dismay the deepening security challenges allegedly linked to unresolved internal wranglings across communities in Andoni,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise peace and dialogue to prevent further escalation of violence.
“We are urging concerned parties to embrace peace in order to save residents from further attacks,” Dressman added.
The group also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, describing the killing as tragic and unacceptable.
“We commiserate with the family of the victim and all those affected by this unfortunate incident,” he said.
Authorities say security agencies have been deployed to the area to enforce the curfew and maintain order as investigations into the incident continue.