Yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Sunday evening shot dead the Chief Security Officer of Khana Local Government Area, Letam Kinee, triggering panic among residents in Bori, the council headquarters in Rivers State.
The attack occurred at about 6 p.m. along Polytechnic Road in Bori, sending residents and passers-by fleeing for safety as gunshots rang out.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the assailants fled the scene immediately after attacking before security operatives arrived. The incident also forced shop owners to hurriedly shut down their businesses.
Reacting to the killing, the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Chief Dr. Thomas Bariere, condemned the attack, describing it as a senseless act of violence.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Press and Public Communications, Barry Neemana, Bariere described Kinee’s murder as heartbreaking, stressing that such criminality has no place in a law-abiding society.
The council chairman noted that the incident came barely weeks after the killing of Clement Deegbara of Kpong Community, warning that the repeated attacks pointed to the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine peace and security in Khana.
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He called on security agencies to intensify operations across the local government area and ensure that those responsible for the killings were swiftly arrested and prosecuted.
Bariere also extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, praying for strength and comfort for them during the difficult period. He urged residents to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding while providing security agencies with credible intelligence to support ongoing investigations and prevent further criminal activities.
He reaffirmed that the protection of lives and property remains a top priority of his administration.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, ASP Agabe Kaborlo, said in a statement issued on Monday that the body of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while a full-scale investigation had commenced to identify and apprehend those responsible.
The police added that although the deceased’s family had yet to lodge a formal complaint, they were advised to do so to aid ongoing investigations and facilitate the prompt administration of justice.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all persons connected with the incident are identified, arrested, and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
