As Nigerians frantically prepare for Christmas, members of Emesu, Egunughan and Aminigboko in Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State will not be part of the celebrations.
A dare-devil attack by hoodlums who killed four soldiers in an attempt to kidnap two foreign oil workers, has destroyed peace in the area and sacked the villagers from their homes and farms.
National Point gathered that following the killing of the soldiers guarding the oil workers, the Army sent a contingent of 18 truckloads of soldiers who are now occupying the troubled area.
Two local sources confirmed to this publication that the communities, major food baskets for groundnuts, garri, plantain and plantain are now ghost towns.
“The communities are now ghost towns. Everybody including men, women and youths are on the run, even the children, “ one of the sources said.
According to her, the fleeing natives are hanging in other villages, some in the central area, while those who have neither relatives nor friends in those places live in open spaces.
While the killing of solders is yet to be resolved, another attack by unknown gunmen felled a police officer and a community member in Okobo, home town of Senator Betty Appiafi.
The development is causing economic hardship for the affected and food insecurity in the state.
“Abua is a major food producer but because of this incident, nobody is going to the farm again. This is harvesting time but nothing is happening, there is no garri to buy and prices are shooting up. A basin of garri that sells for N5000 is now N7000 and it is supposed to be Christmas.
“Abua women are calling for government intervention to resolve this crisis,” she said. The other source said the kidnapped workers have been reported traced to Cross River State and set free.
Meanwhile, the three communities of Emesu, Egunughan and Aminigboko in Abua/Odual local government area of Rivers State recently affected by the kidnapping of two oil firm’ white men workers and the killing of four soldiers of the oil company by the hoodlums have rendered the localities ghost towns because security agents have invaded the affected towns in search of the hoodlums who committed the inhumane act. Inhabitants of the devastated communities of Emesu, Egunughan, Aminigboko and Owerewere are now refugees at neighbouring localities in the local government area.
