Posted by By CHRIS AGUNWEZE, Bonny Island on
Four soldiers and two civilians were killed on Saturday night in another bloody clash with militants on oil rich Bonny Island in Rivers State. The militants stormed the island at about 7.00p.m Saturday night with sophisticated arms in speedboats, spreading panic among residents.
Four soldiers and two civilians were killed on Saturday night in another bloody clash with militants on oil rich Bonny Island in Rivers State. The militants stormed the island at about 7.00p.m Saturday night with sophisticated arms in speedboats, spreading panic among residents.
A heavy battle ensued when soldiers keeping surveillance encountered the gunmen at the Coal Beach.
After the encounter four of the soldiers lay dead, while the militants escaped through the creeks.
A civilian who said to be on a visit to a naval relative was also killed, while another civilian was beheaded by the gunmen at Oloma where the Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company has an oil flow station.
Reasons for the attack was not known as at press time, just like the identity of the particular militant group that carried the raid.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bonny Island, Mr. Alliu Garba, (CSP) confirmed the killings, but declined further comments.
Barely a month ago gunmen attacked a bank on the Island and four soldiers were killed on the Bonny waterway as they were fleeing.
A week after that incident, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Chief Idalah Pollyn was killed by yet unidentified gunmen. Since then there was hardly any week without one form of attack or the other by armed gangs.
Just Friday last week, a community hall, the Brown House palace and the home of Mr. Ramdoph Brown, a Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) chieftain were simultaneously attacked with dynamite in Finima, the immediate host community of the sensitive NLNG plants, Shell and other multinational oil companies operating on the island.
As a result of the frequent attacks by militants, prominent citizens of Bonny are now fleeing the island.