Posted by From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt on
Barely two weeks after the house of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austin Opara was bombed in Port Harcourt.....
Barely two weeks after the house of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austin Opara was bombed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Birabi Street, GRA Phase II house of the Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Kenneth Kobani yesterday came under a similar attack.
THISDAY learnt that explosives suspected to be dynamites were thrown into the compound behind Presidential Hotel and structural damages done to the edifice.
At the house, some workers were busy with repair works but reluctant to confirm what happened and the extent of damage while others, apparently family members tried to keep straight faces to mask the problem at hand.
At a point, a team of journalists that thronged the house to confirm the story were spoken to roughly by a man suspected to be a security agent who ordered them out of the premises.
It was later learnt that the explosive was thrown into the compound at about 11pm Wednesday and since there were many cars packed in the compound, it landed on one of the cars and destroyed it in the process'.
By the time newsmen got to the house, the affected car had been removed. When contacted, a top government official who pleaded anonymity confirmed the attack but said Kobani who had gone to the government house would be in a better position to give details of the attack.
Also yesterday, there was a hurried meeting of security heads in the state at the government house in an apparent move to stem the tide of attacks using explosives in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs. Ireju Barasua confirmed the incident but did not elaborate and suggested that it was a small incident which does not merit publicity.
She would however not give details on how the attack took place, those behind it, their motives and whether any arrest has been made. She was silent on actions so far taken by them.
Also, when a call was put through to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Samuel Adetuji's mobile line, a male voice replied that he was in a meeting with the governor.
Kobani is the son of Chief Edward Kobani, one of the 'Ogoni 4" and was former Commissioner of Commerce in the State before being appointed into his present portfolio.