Armed men attacked the offices of a Nigerian aid group in the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt Monday, killing two people and wounding two others, the head of the organization said.
Judith Asuni of Academic Associated Peaceworks said about 30 people were in the offices when at least four men forced their way into a conference room and shot at a former militant who was working with the group.
Asuni, who was not present at the time, said the former militant was killed and at least three others were wounded in the incident. One of the injured died later from injuries, said Asuni. She had previously said only one other person had been wounded.
Nigeria’s oil-rich delta region is home to numerous militant groups and criminal gangs vying for a piece of the West African country’s petroleum wealth. Though the country is Africa’s largest oil producer, many its people still live in poverty and armed groups regularly take oil workers hostage to force ransoms from multinational companies.
Asuni said the attack appeared to be a targeted assassination. She said her employees described the men as examining the faces of those in the conference room — about 20 people — before shooting repeatedly at one man and killing him. Others appeared to have been injured by stray bullets, she added.
The aid group promotes conflict management and peace education in Nigeria and Ghana. In Port Harcourt, it has focused on oil militants, encouraging former members of armed groups to renounce violence.
“We have been working to try to get people to give up violence in the delta. This incident is a stark reminder of the alternative,” Asuni said.
Police confirmed that one person was killed, but did not have further details.
Other witnesses at the scene, who declined to be identified for fear of retribution, identified the unmasked attackers as loyalists to militant leader Saboma George.