Miriam Hart wounded by gunmen at burial event in Bonny

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Leader of the legislative assembly in Bonny LGA of Rivers, Miriam Hart, is battling at a hospital to survive wounds sustained in an attack by gunmen.

She was among the victims of an armed gang that invaded a burial ceremony at Banigo Isile-Ogono community in Bonny Council Area of Rivers.

Witnesses said that the gunmen stormed the event a few minutes after the deceased, Kenneth Kalada Banigo was interred, shot sporadically and abducted several people.

Scores were injured.

Guests, including 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.

Among the people abducted are Sunny Hart, Thomas Allison and Theophilus Ibiama.

A witness narrated the attack: “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 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.”