The Chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, David Irimagha has called for calm, saying that the recent attack on unarmed civilian passengers of a local cargo boat traveling to Bonny Island from Port Harcourt by a yet-to-be-identified military helicopter was currently being investigated.
Irimagha, who made this call in an interview with Kristina Reports in his office in Bonny on Friday, August 27, 2021, expressed concern over the unfortunate incident that almost resulted in the loss of five lives.
“Everybody should go about their lawful business, while investigating are being carried out.”
“Our people are skeptical about what has happened and some people are scared, but I am assuring them not to be scared, everything is under control.”
The Bonny LG chief executive, who stated that the boat may have been mistaken for one conveying illegally refined petroleum products, wondered why the soldiers on board the military plane did not utilize the security gadgets on the aircraft to properly identify their target before attacking it.
“We heard that a moving chopper, a security chopper at the Dutch Island area saw some persons bringing food stuffs to Bonny Island. We really don’t know what transpired there, but they probably thought it was all this local bunkering boats.”
“I know the question everyone will be asking is ‘don’t they have binoculars in the helicopter?’ They should have used binoculars to see; like I said, we are not really sure what transpired.”
“They hovered around the first time, second time and the third time; they came down to a close range and have a shot at them. Some sustained injuries, with one having a major fracture on his knee. This was what we heard.”
The former Leader of the Bonny Legislative Assembly appealed to residents of the area to go about their lawful activities, assuring that the situation was under control, adding that the security of lives and properties of the people of the area was his administration’s priority.
Recall that a military helicopter had opened fire on unarmed civilians traveling in a local cargo boat sailing from Port Harcourt to Bonny. The victims were driven in an outboard engine powered speedboat to Okrika where they received medical treatment from the gunshot wounds they sustained during the attack.
Though the military authorities were yet to make a statement regarding the incident, calls have been made by concerned individuals to the Chief of Defence, Gen. Lucky Irabor to initiate a probe of the incident with knowledgeable sources asking for an analysis of the flight data from every military aircraft deployed on the day of the incident around the incident area.
This may be called displacement in some fields of study.The armed rebels of Nigeria are not located in the Riverine parts. Besides is oil bunkering punishable by death without trial?