Gunmen Storms Funeral In Rivers, Kidnap Guests, Shoot Top Politicans

Unknown gunmen have killed and abducted several persons during a funeral at Finiapiri-Ama, Banigo Isile-Ogono community in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.

While the funeral was reportedly going on on Saturday, the gunmen stormed the event and kidnapped Sunny Hart, Thomas Allison and Theophilus Ibiama, among several others.

The 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.

However, the leader of the Bonny Local Government Legislative Assembly, Miriam Hart, who was among the guests was unlucky. she was hit by bullets and now battling for her life at an undisclosed hospital after sustaining gunshot injuries.

Speaking with newmen on Sunday, an eyewitness said, “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,” the eyewitness said.

Kingsley Jumbo, the Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Pepple, also released a statement saying:

“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.”

KanyiDaily had also reported how some gunmen attacked and killed four persons in the early hours of Saturday at a burial in Benue State.