Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

At least three persons reportedly lost their lives, while others fled with some of them sustaining injuries on Sunday following a joint police-military raid of some communities in Andoni local government areas of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the security operatives were accompanied by a local security outfit, the Andoni Security Peace and Advisory Council in the raid.

They reportedly stormed the communities on gunboats when residents were said to be preparing for church service.

Sources m said the security team was on a manhunt for miscreants confirming that they heard gunshots from different directions.

They said their primary target fled the area on sighting them adding that three persons from Ajakajak lost their lives before the team departed to Ibot-irem, Samanga, Dema, Oturia and Otuafu.

The President-General of the Obolo Youths Coalition, Ijaonama Mkpon Amon confirmed that the three persons who died were from his community, Ajakajak, while two others sustained serious injuries in Ibot-irem community.

Mkpon condemned the invasion and appealed to security agencies to go after their target instead of killing innocent people.

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He said: “Obolo is an ethnic group that cuts across Rivers and Akwa Ibom as well as some parts of Abia States. The military should understand that Ajakajak is a community and not a family if they were looking for a particular person.

“More than two thousand people live in that community. If you are coming to raid a community, it should be on target, not zigzag raiding. The three persons who died are from Ajakajak, my community.

“They (security operatives) need to work with the community people to differentiate innocent residents from those involved in criminal activities instead of raiding the entire area.

“This raid is condemnable and I call on the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Army Staff to intervene and investigate this incident. They should tell their men not to make Andoni a war front and for them to stop brutalizing our people,” he stated.

When contacted, spokesman of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major Charles Ekeocha said the raid was not carried out by soldiers from the division.

“Well, what happened was that we (6 Division) did not carry out that operation. Maybe another security agency did,” he said.