Unknown hoodlums on Saturday attacked the convoy of the Regent of Abonnema, High Chief O.B. Lulu-Briggs, during a meeting in Abonnema, Akuku-Toru area of Rivers State.
According to Southern City News, no live was lost during the incident but the unidentified rampaging youths, who perpetrated the act, damaged many cars and injured several persons.
There had been crisis among the chiefs in the area following the suspension of the Chairman of Abonnema Council of Chiefs, Amanyanabo Disrael Gbobo Bob-Manuel, over allegation of witchcraft levelled against him.
Nonagenarian Lulu-Briggs was appointed the acting chairman of the council till the controversies and crises would be resolved.
Lulu-Briggs had visited Abonnema for a peace and reconciliation meeting when he was attacked by hoodlums numbering over 200 who damaged property worth millions of naira.
The rampaging youths barred Lulu-Briggs and his convoy from assessing the village square, where the meeting was earlier scheduled to hold. They threw stones at the convoy and shot at the people.
One of the community leaders, Chief Charles Livingstone-Membere, who witnessed the mayhem, recounted, “Some youths we do not know attempted to kill High Chief Lulu-Briggs, when he came to Abonnema for a peace and reconciliation meeting.
“They gathered by his car, destroyed cars in his convoy but he was saved because his car is bulletproof. They were shooting. We do not know what their annoyance was about but we know they were hired to carry out that act.”
Meanwhile, Lulu-Briggs has called for peace among the chiefs of Abonnema Kingdom, saying that violence and killings would not resolve the challenges in the chiefs’ council.
Lulu-Briggs, who spoke through Chief Ibim Young-Briggs, said there was a need for the reconciliation of all the factions in the face-off.
He expressed worry over poor infrastructural development in the area.
“I want to call for a dialogue among all concerned to immediately resolve their differences and for that matter, grievances, so that Abonnema will be restored to its characteristics acclamation of ‘York City’,” he said.
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