30th December, 2020
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Residents of Ogoni Community of Luubara in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers have been living in shock since the invasion of a drinking bar by unknown gunmen suspected to be cultists on Tuesday night, killing two persons, with two women critically injured.
A native of the Community, Nwibani Barry, who spoke with our correspondent on phone explained that the gunmen invaded the community at about 8pm and went to a beer parlour near the market square where they shot at people indiscriminately.
Nwibani revealed that two men, Timothy Baridapdo and Bariyaa died from gunshots, while two ladies who sustained injuries were taken to the hospital by the Divisional Police Officer, SP Bako Angbashim of Bori Division.
He called on relevant security agencies to come to the aide of the community to protect them from attackers.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as at the time of this report. It was not also clear if the dead victims were members of a cult rival group fighting for territorial control.
Another source disclosed that the gunmen might be members of a cult group who were in search of their rivals.
The Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Lahteh Loolo has neither reacted nor made any official statement about Tuesday’s incident.
Calls made to his phone were not picked.
However, when our correspondent called his Media Aide, Comrade Christian Saro Ganale, Director, Press Affairs to the Chairman, he said his boss had been in a meeting and that he was not authorised to comment of on the incident.
He promised to issue a response when he had been authorised to do so.
The Spokesperson of Rivers State Police Command, SP Nnamdi Omoni in his response to our inquiry said he had not received the report yet.