Rivers: Gunmen Storm Funeral, Shoot Top Politicians, Kidnap Guests

Suspected gunmen on Saturday stormed a funeral at Banigo Isile-Ogono community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, and abducted several people.

Information gathered revealed that some of the victims kidnapped at the event are identified as Sunny Hart, Thomas Allison and Theophilus Ibiama, among several others.

Chairman of Bonny Local Government Council, David Irimagha and lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Abinye Blessing Pepple, escaped being killed in the attack.

The incident happened on Saturday during a funeral at Finiapiri-Ama, Banigo Isile-Ogono community in Bonny Local Government Area of the State.

While the LGA Chairman and the State lawmaker escaped, the leader of the Bonny Local Government Legislative Assembly, Miriam Hart who was among the guests was abducted in the process.

Further information revealed that Miriam Hart was hit by bullets and now battling for her life at an undisclosed hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries.

An eyewitness who spoke with Daily Post stated 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.”

“The lawmaker, local government chairman, together with other guests tried to get to the waterfront to board their boats and escape.

“The gunmen later abducted a number of persons and took them away into the nearby creeks. The matter has been reported to security agencies.”

Kingsley Jumbo, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Pepple in a statement said, “The Rivers State lawmaker representing Bonny Constituency, Hon Abinye Blessing Pepple and the Executive Chairman of Bonny Local Government ,Hon David Rogers Irimagha earlier today escaped being abducted by masked gunmen.”

“The unfortunate incident happened at Finapiri Ama (Amauda) village in Banigo Ishilegono where they attended the burial ceremony of an elder statesman in Bonny Kingdom, Late Amaopusenibo Kenneth Miebaradima Kalada Banigo when masked gunmen arrived and began shooting sporadically from the jetty.”