Turf war gun battle in Abonnema

A confrontation between two Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) factions in the Port Harcourt environs escalated to a gun battle with military forces late on 29 July 2008. The battle was evidently part of a turf war between the Farah and Soboma George groups; it took place in Abonnema, which is located approximately 9 mi/14 km west of Port Harcourt. The military was deployed to the area to disperse the combatants, but the militants ambushed the soldiers, killing one; two militants and one civilian were killed in the ensuing gun battle and at least one other civilian was injured by a stray bullet. The initial confrontation between the two groups was apparently the result of a disagreement over which faction should control territory and sea routes in the region.