Nigeria : Powerful ex-gang leader shot in Nigerian oil hub
on 2010/8/25 10:43:45
Nigeria

20100824
reuters

PORT HARCOURT Nigeria (Reuters) - A powerful former Nigerian gang leader accused of helping to rig elections in the oil-producing Niger Delta was shot late on Tuesday, raising fears of retaliation in the volatile region.

Police said Soboma George, a one-time militant leader who accepted a government amnesty last year, was shot during a gunfight in the oil hub of Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state, before being taken away by gunmen.

"He was shot in a clash between rival cult groups around the Nembe area of Borokiri, in Port Harcourt," Rivers state police spokeswoman Rita Inoma-Abbey said, adding one woman was killed.

"We are monitoring the situation so that it does not degenerate," she said.

Security sources said George, who originally led a gang called the Outlaws and has a significant following in Rivers state, had been killed in the shootout.

Police could not confirm whether he had died.

The restive Niger Delta, the heartland of Africa's biggest oil and gas industry, has been relatively peaceful since last year's amnesty programme, which saw thousands of former militants hand over weapons in return for clemency.

But many of the criminal gangs notorious for blowing up oil pipelines and kidnapping oil workers originally enjoyed political backing and were set up to help rig elections, rights groups and security analysts say.

Previous article - Next article Printer Friendly Page Send this Story to a Friend Create a PDF from the article


Other articles
2023/7/22 15:36:35 - Uncertainty looms as negotiations on the US-Kenya trade agreement proceeds without a timetable
2023/7/22 13:48:23 - 40 More Countries Want to Join BRICS, Says South Africa
2023/7/18 13:25:04 - South Africa’s Putin problem just got a lot more messy
2023/7/18 13:17:58 - Too Much Noise Over Russia’s Influence In Africa – OpEd
2023/7/18 11:15:08 - Lagos now most expensive state in Nigeria
2023/7/18 10:43:40 - Nigeria Customs Intercepts Arms, Ammunition From US
2023/7/17 16:07:56 - Minister Eli Cohen: Nairobi visit has regional and strategic importance
2023/7/17 16:01:56 - Ruto Outlines Roadmap for Africa to Rival First World Countries
2023/7/17 15:47:30 - African heads of state arrive in Kenya for key meeting
2023/7/12 15:51:54 - Kenya, Iran sign five MoUs as Ruto rolls out red carpet for Raisi
2023/7/12 15:46:35 - Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Gupta Travels to Kenya and Rwanda
2023/7/2 14:57:52 - We Will Protect Water Catchments
2023/7/2 14:53:49 - Kenya records slight improvement in global peace ranking
2023/7/2 13:33:37 - South Sudan, South Africa forge joint efforts for peace in Sudan
2023/7/2 12:08:02 - Tinubu Ready To Assume Leadership Role In Africa
2023/7/2 10:50:34 - CDP ranks Nigeria, others low in zero-emission race
2023/6/19 15:30:00 - South Africa's Ramaphosa tells Putin Ukraine war must end
2023/6/17 15:30:20 - World Bank approves Sh45bn for Kenya Urban Programme
2023/6/17 15:25:47 - Sudan's military govt rejects Kenyan President Ruto as chief peace negotiatorThe Sudanese military government of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has rejected Kenyan President William Ruto's leadership of the "Troika on Sudan."
2023/6/17 15:21:15 - Kenya Sells Record 2.2m Tonnes of Carbon Credits to Saudi Firms

The comments are owned by the author. We aren't responsible for their content.