The Rivers State Police Command has denied reported invasion of Bunu Community, Tai Local Government area of the State by gunmen.
Unconfirmed reports had it that Bunu Community, in the early hours of Saturday, witnessed heavy shooting by gunmen who invaded the community, killed many and then disappeared with their corpses.
The Youth leader of the community Justin Wabah, was quoted as saying that heavy shooting occurred in the community around 2am Saturday and a thick pool of blood was discovered at the Bunu-Taaga Road by Songhai.
Wabah, however, said that, “despite the pool of blood, there were no corpses or injured persons suggesting that the dead and those injured might have been taken away by the gunmen.
“The community has experienced incessant killings in recent times as there is no presence of security operatives on patrol in the area,” adding that the nearest police division has no patrol vehicle.
But reacting to Wabah’s report, the Police Command in Rivers state stated that it did not receive any report of gun attack in Tai.
The Police in a statement by its Spokesman, SP Nnamdi Omoni described the report as baseless, aimed at causing panic amongst residents of Tai and Rivers state by extension.
According to Omoni, “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to an Online report credited to one Justin Wabah, the Youth Leader of Bunu Community ‘that unknown gunmen invaded the Community, killing several people and taking their dead corpses to an unknown destination’
“Ordinarily this seemingly spurious and ill conceived report should have been ignored and consigned to the dustbin of history, as same is speculative and unverifiable but in order to allow the unsuspecting public form an opinion arising therefrom.
“It has, therefore, become increasingly necessary to put the records straight and state the true position as follows:That the Bunu Community in Tai LGA is known for its traditional peaceful nature and has so enjoyed it in recent times .
“The report that unknown gunmen invaded the Community is for all intents and purposes unfounded, baseless and existed in the imagination of the reporter.
“That no report of killing was received by the DPO nor the Area Commander Incharge of the Bori Area Command.
“That when our attention was drawn to the report; for whatever it was worth, the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph G Muka invited the Traditional Ruler of the Community, Chief Godwin Ndegue and the Youth Leader, Justin Wabah, the said reporter and while with him, they both denied knowledge of the report, adding that they were quoted out of context and dissociated themselves from it.”
