Gunmen attack Bayelsa Community, kill four

At least four people have lost their lives after suspected cultists launched a deadly attack on Swali community, located at the heart of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

According to a community source who spoke to News360 Nigeria, the gunmen stormed the area from a nearby river on Easter Sunday and began attacking residents who had just returned from church celebrations. Several others were injured in the attack, while many residents have reportedly fled the area out of fear of more violence.

Swali is known for hosting the largest market in Bayelsa State and has a waterfront that connects travellers to other parts of the state.

The community is also home to important institutions like the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), INEC, the Federal Secretariat, and other government offices. It has also been designated as a free trade zone by the Bayelsa State Government.

Though there have been ongoing supremacy battles between two cult groups, the Greenlanders and the Bobos, it remains unclear if this latest attack is directly linked to those clashes.

The lawmaker representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Chief Ayibanegiyefa Egba, has condemned the incident, describing it as “barbaric.”

During her visit to the affected community on Tuesday, she said, “I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and the entire Swali community.”

She called on residents to remain united and urged youths to avoid criminal activities that could endanger their future.

Also speaking during the visit, the Paramount Ruler of Swali, HRH Wilcox Seiyefa Job, appealed to the state government to establish police posts at key locations in the community to prevent further attacks.

He called for urgent measures to ensure the safety and peace of his people.

The Bayelsa State Police Command, through its spokesman DSP Musa Mohammed, confirmed the incident and said that security had been strengthened in the area.

He stated that the attack might not be cult-related, but assured that efforts are ongoing to prevent further breakdown of law and order.