Argument Over ‘Who’s More Educated’ Leads To Communal Crisis As Student Killed In Rivers

A senior secondary school student was on Monday killed in Ban Ogoi, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State after an argument over which community is more educationally inclined degenerated into a cult clash.

The deceased, an SS1 student named ThankGod Loolo, a native of Ban Ogoi community was killed alongside two other youths whose identities are yet unknown.

According to a youth leader in Ban-Ogo, Lenu Barika, the bloody communal clash was preceded by arguments over which local government area between Gokana and Tai Rivers loves education more.

The two local governments are neighbours.

According to Barika who spoke to THE WHISTLER, “The clash broke out between residents of Gbaken, Eemu and Nwenwikowa who are indigenes of Gokana but resides in Ban-Ogoi(in Tai Rivers).

“The Gokanas started the fight over small communal misunderstanding which the Ban-Ogoi community never envisaged would turn into bloodshed.

“The youths had some quarrel over supremacy of the local governments, and which one has more educated people.

” It later resulted to a cult clash between both parties. The Gokanas laid siege on their host community, engaging the harmless youths in a ceaseless sophisticated gun battle, killing and capturing harmless youths of Ban-Ogoi.”

THE WHISTLER learnt that 10 youths were injured heavily during the clash which turned into a bloodbath as several youths were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries from gunshots in the wake of the clash.

The Rivers State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Nnamdi Omoni, said he was yet to be briefed about the development.