…Kono-Boue Weeps Over Discovery Of Bodies
…As Ka-Bori Community Counts Loses
A community leader and elite in Kono Boue Community of Khana Local Government Area, Mr. Promise-Komene Abanee is upset following wanton killings by suspected cultists, the latest being discovery of bodies of two aged men in a bush last Thursday, August 26, 2021.
Promise-Abanee in a ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the police authority, public spirited individuals and Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and the international community, particularly urged security agencies to step up investigation into the killings which he described as chilling and heartless.
He alleged that gunmen numbering over twenty invaded Kono-Boue on Monday, August 23, 2021 and destroyed windows and doors of several buildings, adding that the invaders shot and killed three ‘innocent’ persons and also abducted two men, Nubari Ifaah, a retired teacher and Ideebom Monday Beteh, said to be in their eighties.
“Their severely mangled bodies were located on Thursday, August 26, 2021 in a bush far away from the community. A unit of the Nigeria Police Force in Bori provided security and they were buried on same day”, he disclosed, wondering
what could have been the offence of these elderly men.
“Can this still be cult war or planned genocide against Kono Boue people?”, he asked.
Narrating the circumstances, Komene-Abanee said Nubari Ifaah, his only surviving maternal uncle left Bori from his immediate younger brother’s place to home that Monday morning, having heard that Ideebom Monday Beteh, his closest person and neighbor has been at home for over two days, promising to return on Tuesday.
“But it turned out never to be as around mid-afternoon of same day, the gunmen, after killing the people mentioned earlier, saw Beteh crossing to see Nubari, led him and abducted the two of them”, he said.
Komene-Abanee further lamented other gory killings of Kono-Boue indigenes and raping of 7 women and collecting their phones at their farms by suspected cultists, describing these as genocide against the community.
National Network learnt that these unfortunate incidents prompted a visit by Khana Local Government Chairman, Dr. Bariere Thomasto the community on July 22, 2021 where he instructed all communities of Boue to abide by a peace agreement, regretting that this was not to be as the cultists resumed hostilities the next day, allegedly raping eight women at their farms.
“Kono Boue is facing an unprecedented war in the history of Ogoni with reference to cult related attacks. The community has remained the most consistent terror target in Khana Local Government Area”, he cried out.
Noting that farming, education, fishing, trading and church activities have been grinded in the community, Komene-Abanee regretted that the clan has been lulled and tricked with what he called ‘a false picture of leadership’ as Kono-Boue remains deserted.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr. Bariere Thomas has advised the people of Ka-Bori Community not to launch any reprisal attack on anyone or any community following the killing of two persons in the place last Sunday stating that government is on top of the situation and will act accordingly.
Dr.Thomas Bariere who made the appeal when he visited Ka-Bori Community for an on the spot assessment of the incident, condoled with families who lost their loved ones as a result of the gruesome attack and also expressed sadness over the ugly incident.
Dr. Thomas assured people of the community that government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished.
A female native of the community National Network that the gunmen shot a man and two women in the ugly incident.
Our source disclosed that the man and one of the women who were shot died instantly while the second woman was rushed to an undisclosed hospital where she is receiving medical attention.
Meanwhile some natives accused people of Kono-Boue Community of being responsible for the attack, adding that it took the intervention of the police and other security agencies to dislodge the hoodlums and restore normalcy with no arrests at the time of going to press.
The Public Relations Officer of Kono-Boue Community Development Committee (CDC) Golden Nwibakpo however denied insinuation that people of his community was responsible for the attack.
Nwibakpo, in a telephone interview, said his community has been deserted and his people are now living in IDPs camps in Bori Town and do not have the time to plan such attack.
The spokesperson of the Rivers State Police command, Nnamdi Omon was yet to respond to text messages sent to him by our reporter on the incident.
Recall that on Monday August 23,2021, three persons were reportedly killed by unknown gunmen in Kono-Boue Community.
