Monarch raises alarm as gunmen kill Chiefs, prominent Kula indigenes in waterways of Rivers State

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

 

The insecurity in the waterways in Rivers in gradually coming to its peak as gunmen suspected to be sea pyrates along the waterways on Friday April 20,  in Rivers state ambushed a boat conveying an official of the Rivers state government, Kenneth Opusingi, Chairman Petroleum Task force killing a chief and two others.

 

It was learnt that the boat was ambushed by heavily armed men along the Kula high sea in Akuku-Toru Local government area of Rivers state.

 

Also, a settlement at Finima in Bonny Island was attacked by gunmen had a shootout with members of Joint Military Taskforce, JTF, suspected to be cultist leaving about four persons dead

 

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the attacks in Kula and Bonny.

 

Spokesman for the Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni confirmed the Kula incident saying that but for the quick intervention of the security agents the casualty figure would have been more.

 

 

According to Omoni, “I think they were assailants,” he said.

 

Kula is richly blessed with both oil and gas but can only be accessed by water through the high Sea on by speed boats.

 

The loss of prominent Chiefs and sons of Kula is not going down well with the traditional institution in Opu-Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government as it has  condemned the attack.

 

Amanayabo of Opu-Kula, Hope Opusungi condemned “the attack by some hired assailants on the convoy of boats conveying, prominent chiefs and sons along the Kula waterways on Friday 20th April 2018 killing three persons including a member of OpuKula Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Chief Hamilton Opuende Orudikiyekalatubo and Mr. Nye George as well as a police officer.

 

“That this was an assassination attempt on the lives of the Rivers State Chairman of the Petroleum Taskforce Kenneth Opusingi, the Rivers State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria Sukubo Sara-Igbe and many other prominent sons and daughter of Kula who narrowly escaped death.

 

Read Also: Four persons killed, others injured in a clash in two fishing settlements in Bonny, Rivers

“That this attack is as a result of the failure of security agencies particularly the JTF, the Navy and the police whose onerous responsibility is to provide security and protect lives and property of the citizenry,” the monarch said.