Omoku town in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State was plunged into shock and mourning on Thursday evening after gunmen suspected to be cultists launched a violent attack that claimed the lives of two people, including the President of the Omoku Youth Federation, Comrade Ifeanyi Azuazu.
The attack occurred at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at a popular drinking spot along Ogolo Street, off Palace Road, Omoku. Eyewitnesses said the assailants, numbering about seven, arrived in two vehicles and immediately identified their target.
According to witnesses, the gunmen confronted Azuazu and ordered him at gunpoint to enter one of their vehicles. Chaos ensued when his personal aide, Chigozie Oluwu, reportedly attempted to intervene. He was instantly shot dead by the attackers.
Azuazu was then forcibly taken away, triggering panic across the area as residents fled for safety and business owners hurriedly shut their shops amid fears of further violence.
Hopes that the abducted youth leader would be rescued alive were dashed on Friday afternoon when the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Security and Planning Advisory Committee (OSPAC) confirmed the recovery of his headless body in a forest in Omoku.
Confirming the development in a telephone interview, the OSPAC spokesperson in ONELGA, Mr. Godnews Nkem, said the corpse was discovered several hours after the abduction. He explained that while Oluwu was killed at the scene of the attack, Azuazu was taken away alive and later murdered by his captors.
“OSPAC operatives, working with other local security networks, recovered the headless body of the Omoku Youth Federation President in a forest on Friday afternoon,” Nkem said. He described the killing as brutal and unfortunate, urging residents to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.
Nkem added that security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, have launched investigations to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings.
Residents of Omoku expressed fear and anger over the incident, describing it as another setback to peace in the community. Many called on the state government and security agencies to urgently strengthen security to prevent further attacks.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Rivers State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time. The Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe Koko, who was contacted, said she would provide details but had not done so by the time of filing this report.
The killing of the youth leader has heightened tension in Omoku and surrounding communities, with residents demanding swift justice and decisive action to curb cult-related violence in the area.
