Three persons were feared killed on Sunday in Eneka community, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State when a group of gunmen shot continuously near a football viewing centre.
Several persons, mostly youths, sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries as the gunmen opened fire on residents of the area.
It was learnt that the incident happened during a premiership match between Liverpool and Huddersfield, as residents ran helter-skelter to avoid being hit by bullets.
A source said the incident was one of the cult-related attacks that had affected some parts of the state.
“The gunmen came at the end of the first half of the Liverpool versus Huddersfield match. Some persons were seriously injured because they were shot by the gunmen.
“Though we learnt that three persons had died, we have not been able to verify that yet. But it was terrifying.
“By the time some policemen arrived, the gunmen had left, leaving the community in agony. Many with gunshot injuries were rushed to hospital after the gunmen left,” the source said.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, said he had not been briefed about the incident.
However, Omoni, who promised to get details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer of the area, expressed worry that some members of the public were not interested in reporting crime to the police.
“When these things happen, they will not report to the police. But they prefer to report to the media. When an incident like this happens, the matter should be reported to the police,” Omoni said.