The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and Ogoni Trust Fund, Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, has denounced the latest surge of homicides in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, pressing law enforcement bodies to guarantee that those culpable are captured and brought to trial.
Deeyah issued the demand during a sympathy call on the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Dr. Thomas Bariere, at the local headquarters in Bori, following the slaying of a past Chief Security Officer of the council, Mr. Letam Kiine, along with additional reported assaults in the vicinity.
Kiine was reportedly shot dead by unidentified gunmen along the road leading to Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic.
Speaking to the local chairman, lawmakers, and workforce, Deeyah characterized the murder as tragic and voiced trust in Bariere’s capacity to re-establish durable harmony throughout the sector.
He praised the local leader for his actions toward upgrading safety since taking office, noting that certain settlements, including Gwara, were earlier tough to reach due to volatility.
According to him, those financing illegal operations in Khana ought to be subjected to the maximum penalty under the law.
“All these things are distractions. Whoever is causing insecurity in the local government is wasting his or her time. We will support you. Put your feet down and don’t be scared of anybody. We will surely chase those causing insecurity out. Day and night do not live together,” Deeyah said.
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He emphasized that tranquility in Bori, the traditional heartland of Ogoni, remains essential to the stability of the entire Ogoni ethnic group.
“This is home for me, and this is also the traditional headquarters of Ogoni. If Bori is not at peace, Ogoni can never be at peace. When I heard that someone was killed, I felt it was one thing too many.
“He has done so much to bring peace to this local government. We are behind him, we support him, and we want him to continue to do what he is doing without fear or favour,” he added.
Deeyah cautioned agents of violence that legal consequences would ultimately overtake them, encouraging them to renounce unlawful behaviors and permit the territory to experience order.
In reply, Bariere expressed gratitude to the HYPREP Board Chairman for the call, describing it as a clear sign of backing for his administration.
The local chairman pledged to escalate measures aimed at countering lawlessness, alleging that certain figures vying for positions as Chief Security Officers were directly tied to violent acts.
“It is time we say enough is enough to the killings in Khana Local Government Area. You cannot be a source of insecurity and at the same time seek to be among those providing security. You cannot fool all the people all the time,” Bariere said.
He reassured citizens that the local government was collaborating closely with law enforcement to unmask and try those responsible for the recent strikes.
“Upon receiving information about this gruesome murder, we immediately activated the security architecture of the local government. Security operatives are being supported and are fully engaged.
“We are closing in, and we can assure the people of Khana that in the coming days those behind these criminal acts will not only be exposed but will also be prosecuted,” he said.
