Tragedy struck the Obelle community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday evening when Chief Ferdinand Dabiri, the Vice Chairman of the Obelle Council of Chiefs, was shot dead in cold blood during a council meeting by suspected cultists.

According to eyewitness accounts and family confirmation, the attack was allegedly carried out by members of the notorious Iceland cult, led by a feared kingpin known as ‘Cairo’. The assailants reportedly stormed the meeting venue at Omuwoka village, where Chief Dabiri and other traditional leaders were gathered.

An eyewitness confirmed “Cairo alighted from a motorcycle with a firearm, walked directly to Chief Dabiri, shot him twice at close range, and fled after confirming he was dead.”

The brutal assassination caused panic as other chiefs and community members at the scene fled for safety. As of Saturday evening, tension gripped the community, with several residents fleeing the area for fear of further attacks.

Chief Dabiri’s second son, Joseph Eze Dabiri, confirmed the killing in a telephone interview. “I heard that a guy came with a gun while my father was in a meeting, shot him twice and escaped. The matter has been reported to the Rumuji Police Division,” he said, calling for justice and immediate government intervention.

The Rivers State Police Command is yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of press time.

This killing marks a fresh wave of violence in Obelle, a community that has seen a disturbing rise in cult-related murders over the past year. It will be recalled that on November 15, 2024, Miss Loveth Amadi led a protest to the Rumuji Police Division, accusing the same ‘Cairo’ of killing her father, Akpata Amadi, a member of the local vigilante group, earlier that month.

The latest murder has triggered renewed fears and calls for urgent security intervention in Emohua LGA. Community leaders, civil society groups, and residents are appealing to the sole administrator  Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas and security agencies to take decisive action to dismantle cult networks and restore peace in Obelle and surrounding communities.

As the police begin investigations, the people of Obelle wait anxiously  mourning yet another life lost to unchecked cult violence.