The NCD Metropolitan Command has strongly condemned the senseless killing of two individuals and the subsequent retaliatory violence that erupted around Gerehu and Rainbow Cash and Carry on 31 October and 1 November 2026.
The unrest began on Saturday, 31 October, when a 17-year-old youth was allegedly robbed of his mobile phone near the Elisio Shopping Centre in Gerehu. Seeking to recover the stolen property, the teenager returned with his elder brother to confront the suspects. The confrontation quickly turned violent; the youth was fatally stabbed, and his brother suffered serious injuries.
By Sunday morning, retaliatory attacks escalated near Rainbow Cash and Carry. This secondary wave of violence claimed another life, left another person critically injured, and resulted in the burning of roadside market stalls alongside widespread property damage.
Metropolitan Superintendent Warrick Simatab confirmed that police are actively investigating both incidents. Authorities have already apprehended persons of interest linked to the initial fatal stabbing, and teams are working to identify all other perpetrators.
In response, the Metropolitan Command has flooded Gerehu, Rainbow, and surrounding communities with a strengthened police presence and high-visibility patrols to prevent further violence.
Superintendent Simatab extended his deepest condolences to the grieving families and appealed for calm across Port Moresby’s diverse communities. He urged community leaders and residents to cooperate with investigators and exercise restraint, warning against letting individual crimes spiral into destructive ethnic conflict. Simatab emphasized that murder, robbery, and mob violence will not be tolerated, declaring that the law must prevail to keep the capital safe
