Port Harcourt — A major blow was yesterday evening dealt on the federal government amnesty programme when the leader of "Outlaws" and major urban guerrilla, Mr. Soboma George, was killed by four men while two of his close aides were injured.

Conflicting reports said two girls who were in his company also lost their lives though it is not yet clear what led to the attack and by which group.

Information available to THISDAY said Soboma went to play football and was on his way out of the field around Nembe street, town Area, Port Harcourt, Rivers State when four men in French suit and driving a Corolla car accosted him.

Unsuspecting Soboma was said to have spurned their bold attempt to intimidate him and they shot him at close range with the automatic weapons concealed in their wears and immediately left the environment.

His aides who were too stunned for the attack could not react on time as some were wounded and are receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Dr. Rita Abbey, confirmed that they heard that there was shooting in town and that Soboma was killed but that they were yet to see his corpse to confirm.

The same information was available with other security agencies who are working on the theory that he may have been gunned down due to business transactions, retaliatory killings during his hey days in the creeks or may have been killed to break the confidence in the amnesty programme.

The problem seem to have led to the mobilisation of his boys to retaliate on any one perceived to be linked to the killing which may plunge the state into another orgy of violence which the government has worked so hard to stop.

However, Abbey said they had mobilised officers to the area to keep the peace and warned against any breach to peace as the police will not hesitate to arrest and detain anyone whose conduct threatens the peace of the area.