PDP n APC Clashes Two Confirm Dead

According to Punch, two people were killed on Tuesday morning in a clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state.

The incident happened at about 9am in Omoku, in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of the state.

It is understood that the incident was a spillover from another violent attack that had taken place on Monday evening in Okwuzi community, in the same local government area.

No lives were lost in the Monday fight between the two parties in Okwuzi.

According to a source, one of the dead was a relative of the commissioner for power, Augustine Nwokocha, an APC stalwart.

Many houses, including Nwokocha’s house, were said to have been razed by the rampaging APC and PDP supporters, who tore at each other amidst sporadic shooting that began at about 8am.

The incident was said to have caused confusion in the area as residents, traders and passers-by took to their heels to avoid being hit by bullets.

Confirming the incident, the state police public relations officer, Ahmad Mohammad, told newsmen that it was a clash between two political parties in the state, and confirmed the two deaths.

He said: “The skirmishes in the two communities in Onne local government area, and which started in Okwuzi yesterday (Monday), was as a result of a clash between supporters of two political parties in the state.”

He added that there was no reported case of house burning and that the situation there had been brought under control.

Efforts made to reach the state commissioner for power, Augustine Nwokocha, were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off when our correspondent called.

Omoku has been a hotbed of political conflicts since the start of the election campaign.

Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni is the local government area of the Rivers state chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, while Nwokocha is the leader of the APC in the area.

Port Harcourt has witnessed intensified violent attacks as the 2015 general elections draw close. On March 9 there were reports that suspected cultists invaded a restaurant around the Eastern-Bypass area of Marine Base, Port Harcourt and killed four people. An unconfirmed number of people sustained varying degrees of injuries.

At the weekend four people were killed late in the night at the Okrika waterside town axis in Port Harcourt.