Families and residents of Degema community in Degema local government area, Rivers state, are pleading for urgent government intervention, lamenting months of grief, abandonment, and persistent security harassment following a deadly violence outbreak that claimed multiple lives and left numerous persons unaccounted for.
Community members, including grieving parents, spouses, and survivors, voiced their anguish over what they described as total governmental inaction. According to accounts, the tragic events—which peaked around February 23, 2024—resulted in the deaths of brothers, sisters, and young graduates who had returned home for family functions.
Speaking on the heavy toll of the crisis, community representatives disclosed that several victims remain missing or dead without proper closure. While one body remains held in a mortuary awaiting clearance for burial, many others were allegedly taken alive or killed on the spot.
Recalling his harrowing experience, a survivor, Asangwu Francis, narrated how he sustained severe gunshot wounds and spent 40 minutes bleeding alone in the bush before receiving medical attention later taken to the Teaching Hospital in Port Harcourt.
Families report that the tragedy has left deep psychological and financial scars, particularly on young children and wives who have lost breadwinners. “It has affected the mothers… the fathers are no more,” community leaders lamented, adding that survivors struggle daily to feed their dependents.
Community members expressed frustration that despite formally petitioning the police, the Commissioner of Police, and the Ministry of Defense multiple times, no significant arrests or protective measures have been executed.
The situation remains tense as residents claim that armed groups continue to terrorize the area. Just weeks prior, armed men reportedly stormed the local waterside and agricultural areas, harassing workers, brandishing weapons, and restricting the movement of terrified citizens.
With community members feeling sidelined due to a lack of prominent figures to fight their cause, they are directly appealing to federal and state authorities to step in.
“We are calling on the government to come to our aid. We need justice for the seven. We need justice for the Degema people that were slain,” the community leaders implored, stressing that true healing can only begin when the government ensures accountability and safety for the people of Degema.
