How Saboma George Was Killed

It is no longer news that Rivers state has been under the siege of Cultists cum Militants. These cultists were funded by the erstwhile Governor of Rivers State Peter Odili who in the initial years of his administration used them to intimidate his opponents in Rivers State, then Odili was known as the chief Patron of the Vikings, a deadly campus cult that was prominent in Eastern universities including University of Port Harcourt .

As is always the case with things like these, the Cultists multiplied and Odili soon lost control over them. From the days when Asari Dokubo was the de facto leader, the Militants now fractured and Tom Ateke broke away, his own group further splintered and one faction was led by Saboma George. George was a student at Rivers UST but had to drop out.

With time Tom Ateke resented the influence of Saboma George whose influence was particularly strong in Port Harcourt. Odili was now completely helpless and the only way he could keep the peace was by paying the various militants large sums of money.
When Celestine Omehia took over as Governor, he was uncomfortable with the powers of Saboma who had now become the de facto power in Port Harcourt. Soldiers and Policemen were not allowed into his areas like Waterside, Lagos town etc. it will be recalled that when Saboma was arrested some time ago, his boys went to the State Police HQ and freed him. That singular act sent shivers down the spine of other militants and the Government.

Celestine Omehia found a ready ally in Tom Ateke who was jealous of his former prodigy; Saboma George. With the active support of the Omehia Government, Tom Ateke moved against Saboma George. The result was the open battle that took place between both groups on the streets of Port Harcourt. Omehia aim was to remove Saboma from the scene and Tome Ateke could remain in the creeks away from the public glare and continue his main business of oil bunkering unhindered.

But Omehia and Tom Ateke underestimated the strength of Saboma George, his resistance and the escalation of the fight led to direct Federal Government intervention, Yar Adua had by now lost patience and was not convinced the Governor could deal with the matter on his own. It was against this backdrop that the Joint Military Task Force reinforced by the Navy and Air force moved against the Saboma George. The soldiers stormed his hideout in a hotel at about 3:00 am. Not knowing that the hotel had been surrounded, five of his boys came out firing. They were immediately felled by the soldiers. The soldiers shouting told George and everybody to surrender and come out.

Seeing that the game was up, about 7 of them came out hands in the air but George was not among them. At this point the soldiers moved into the hotel shooting everything that moved, Saboma went into the ceiling to hide, but unfortunately for him, the soldiers noticed the ceiling tile had shifted, they straight away fired some shots into the ceiling and one of these hit George and he started screaming. The soldiers asked him to come down , he refused and more shots were fired into the ceiling, again George started screaming and by this time blood was beginning to drip from the ceiling. He was asked again to come down. Either he was too injured to do so or because he was scared, George refused to obey and now wanting to take chances, the soldiers came out and rocket propelled grenades were fired at the building bringing it down and setting it ablaze, and so ended the life of George.

The soldiers are gradually taking control of Port Harcourt and most of the militants are now running and the students amongst them are now hiding around Choba. Four were caught by soldiers at Lagos road and were made to lie on the ground and shot. Most of the soldiers feel this is pay back time for their colleagues that have been felled by the militants.

The killing of George Saboma is just the beginning, the Federal Govt wants to rid the Niger Delta once and for all of all the militants. Tom Ateke is now on the run and as we write the soldiers have started moving into the creeks and hopefully peace will once more return to the Niger Delta.