PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News Across The Region
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The serene and quiet Bille Community in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State woke up on Sunday to an attack by men alleged to be personnel of the Nigerian Army.
Our correspondent said the attack was on account of an allegation that the community was behind the “killing of their personnel.”
In a release made available to our correspondent, chairman of the Bille Kingdom Chiefs Council, Chief (Barr) Bennett Okpoki, condemned the attack on the community.
He noted that the community has a good working relationship with the 29th Battalion Tactical Headquarters of the Nigerian Army resident in Bille, and wondered what could have prompted the attack on the community.
According to the release, a Port Harcourt bound passenger boat from Bille Town was attacked by gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates, leaving one Impaisinba Igani dead, while several others were seriously injured.
The community immediately reported the incident to the military battalion in Bille, the release said.
Our source revealed that earlier there was a deadly clash between some men in military uniform, believed to be security operatives, and other unidentified gunmen suspected to be the same pirates that earlier attacked the Bille passenger boat.
The clash reportedly led to the death of some of those believed to be military personnel.
“Sunday, September 3, 2022 saw the invasion of Touma,a community in Bille Kingdom, to the chagrin of the people, on the pretext that the Bille people carried out the attack that left some military personnel dead. Some persons were arrested and their belongings carted away.
“As if that was not enough, the military continued their onslaught on Bille people and stormed the peaceful community on the 6th of September 2022, arrested several persons including the Bille monarch, HRM I.N.C Herbert and his personal aide,” the source said.
He noted that “some persons want to rubbish the good image of the community by pitching Bille against the Nigerian Army.”
An octogenarian and foremost community leader from Degema who did not want his name in print frowned at the alleged invasion of Bille community. Claiming that “some influential persons who are close neighbours are not comfortable with the community,” he suggested that these neighbours “must have plotted the evil to paint Bille black before the world.
“I’m sure that the perpetrators of the act on the military are outside Bille community. The military and other security operatives, including government should thoroughly carry out unbiased investigation to unravel the mystery”, the octogenarian said.
Our source further claimed that Bille community has been denied several government projects over the years, adding that their contribution to the nation’s economic development is not felt. “Bille is known to have many oil wells, but no government presence of any kind,” he said.
The community called on the federal and the state governments, particularly the chief of Defence Staff, to as a matter of urgency intervene to curb the menace of sea piracy on Bille waterways and also release those arrested over the unfortunate incidence.
Our correspondent could not get response on these claims from the Army as of the time at sending in this report.
