Police Confirm Gunmen Attack On Rivers Community

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed last Saturday’s attack on Banigo Isile-Ogono community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State by unknown gunmen.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the gunmen stormed the community and disrupted a funeral ceremony, shooting sporadically to scare away guests, adding that no life was lost during the incident.
According to him, the attackers escaped before police men could arrive the scene of the incident, adding that efforts were on to track the perpetrators of the act, and bring them to book.
Omoni, however, dispelled speculations that the attack was a kidnap attempt, saying that the police were yet to link the incident to any kidnap threat in the area.
“We sent our men over there, and they are dominating (taken control of) the area to forestall further attack.
“No arrest has been made so far but investigation into the matter is ongoing”, he stated.
It would be recalled that the gunmen had stormed the funeral of late Kenneth Kalada Banigo at Finiapiri-Ama in Banigo Isile-Ogono, Bonny LGA, last Saturday, shot sporadically and abducted several persons in a gory operation.
It was gathered that during the shooting spree, the miscreants had injured many and allegedly abducted one Sunny Hart, Thomas Allison, and Theophilus Ibiama, among many others.
The Tide gathered that the Chairman of Bonny Local Government Council, Hon David Irimagha and lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Abinye Blessing Pepple, escaped by the whiskers from being killed in the attack.
While the LGA chairman and the state lawmaker escaped, the leader of the Bonny Local Government Legislative Assembly, Hon Miriam Hart, who was among the guests, was unlucky.
It was gathered that Miriam Hart was hit by bullets, and is now battling for her life at an undisclosed hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries.
Eyewitness said that, “Pepple, Irimagha, and Hart were among guests who were in the community to attend the funeral of late Kenneth Kalada Banigo when the gunmen, who were masked, struck”.