There has been resurgence of attacks by gunmen along the waterways in Rivers state.
Last week, gunmen suspected to be sea pirates ambushed a boat conveying an official of the Rivers state government, Kenneth Opusingi, killing a chief and two others.
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 suspected to be cultist leaving two people dead on its wake.
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the attacks in Kula and Bonny.
Spokesman for the Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said the reason for the attack in Finima is yet to be ascertained but disclosed that the command has responded to the incident with the deployment of more personnel to the settlement.
“We got a distress call from that area (Finima). We have inquired and found that some youths in the area engaged men of the Joint Task Force in a shootout.
“I think they were assailants,” he said.
On the attack in Kula, Omoni said the casualty figure would have been more if not for the timely intervention of security forces.
In the meantime, the traditional institution in Opu-Kula, Akuku-Toru Local Government 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.
“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.
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