Panic in Rivers community as gunmen kill ex-council CSO

Bori, the administrative center of Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State, was gripped by panic Sunday evening following the fatal shooting of Letam Kine, the former Chief Security Officer of the council. The attack, which occurred along Polytechnic Road, has been attributed by some locals to suspected cultists.

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As a result of the incident, social and business activities were immediately halted, with shop owners closing hurriedly.

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants fired multiple shots at Kine before fleeing into nearby bushes. The sound of gunfire sent residents and passersby scrambling for safety. The discovery of Kine's lifeless body intensified fear, leading to the immediate cessation of social and business activities as shop owners hastily closed their premises.

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As I speak with you, though activities have resumed unlike last night, people, especially students, are still afraid over the killing, which many said was done by cultists.

While activities have since resumed, a palpable sense of fear persists, particularly among students of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, which is located in Bori. Many residents believe cultists were responsible for the targeted killing. Police arrived at the scene after the assailants had already escaped.

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The Executive Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Thomas Bariere, has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Mr Letam Kine, also known as Langa, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen. This is a heartbreaking and senseless act of violence. Such criminality has no place in a peaceful and law-abiding society.

Dr. Thomas Bariere, the Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, strongly condemned the killing as a senseless act of violence. In a statement, he described Kine's murder as heartbreaking and asserted that such criminality has no place in their society. Bariere expressed deep concern, noting that this incident follows closely on the heels of another killing in a nearby community, suggesting a coordinated effort by armed criminal gangs to destabilize the region's peace and security.

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He expressed deep concern that the killing comes barely weeks after the tragic murder of Clement Deegbara J. of Kpong Community, noting that the repeated attacks point to the activities of armed criminal gangs determined to undermine the peace and security of Khana.