The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a lawyer, Claudius Akpudi Ikechukwu, and two others in connection with a shooting during a masquerade display in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, which left one person dead and several others injured.
The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday, January 19, 2026. Eyewitnesses said trouble began when a masquerade allegedly struck the lawyer’s car with a cane while the procession was ongoing.
In response, the lawyer reportedly stepped out of his vehicle, brandished a firearm, and opened fire. The shooting claimed the life of Emmanuel David Nkemjika, the immediate past Treasurer of the Omoku Youth Federation, and left six others injured.
Following the violence, tensions escalated as angry youths set fire to the lawyer’s family home in the Santa Maria area and his private residence in Obrikom.
CSP Grace Iringe Koko, the Rivers State Police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests and said the command has launched a full investigation into the shooting.
