The early hours of Friday witnessed attacks by some-yet-to-be identified militants, who took to the streets as they fired gunshots along Aggrey Road down to Borikiri area all in town area of the capital city. Eyewitness told Niger Delta STANDARD that the militants, who shot sporadically in demonstration about their displeasure over the CarniRiv 2008, were however chased back by some members of the JTF. Unconfirmed reports says the militants shooting was a way of restating that peace afterall may have not returned to Port Harcourt, as the CarniRiv show was geared to proclaim.
One of the eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Mr. Akpo, told Niger Delta STANDARD that the militants, who came with their van started the shootings at Aggrey Road and subsequently retreated to the Borikiri area when the JTF and some members of the police came back for re-enforcement, having being chased prior by the militants. Mr. Akpo, however said no casualty was recorded even as he observed that the event started at about 5.20 a.m on Friday. Apolice source, which pleaded anonymity, told one of our reporters that about 300 militants were freed by the militants from the prison the previous day (Thursday) but remarked that a group of militants came around the Central Police Station on Friday in search of two of their members who were arrested with AK 47 as well as many ammunition as alleged.
It was further alleged that seven of the gang members ran away after two of their members were arrested. When contacted on phone, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Rita I. Abbey told Niger Delta STANDARD that the aim of the group was to disrupt the CarniRiv but observed that there was no casualty recorded. Although the reason for the shooting by the gunmen, suspected to be militants could not be immediately ascertained, local sources however said that the gunmen were linked to local robbery operations directed to the homes of some residents within the neighbourhood.
We learnt that the incident which happened later in the day Wednesday, created panic situations, prompting the police to move in swiftly to the affected areas to contain their excesses. But an eyewitness account confirmed that the gunmen did not shoot at anybody even as they continued to shoot into the air, until they finally moved to a waiting boat in one of the made shift jetties, from where their speed boat took off at high speed. There are insinuations that the militants may have attacked some police stations where they intended to secure the release of their detained members, our Correspondent however, said there was no official confirmation of any attack on any police station in Port Harcourt metropolises as the militants were chased to the waterside.
Contacted on phone, to react to the purported attack on a police station by militants in Port Harcourt, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mrs. Rita Inoma Abbey (DSP) denied knowledge of any militants attack on any of their police stations. “There has been no signal to that effect at least as at now. I am not aware of any such attacks,” Mrs. Rita Abbey told Niger Delta STANDARD in a telephone interview. She however, said that the only situation her office is aware of is an encounter where police in Borokiri area of Port Harcourt chased fleeing robbers, suspected to be militants. She said that the militants however, shot sporadically in the air as they flee to escape through a waiting boat, close to the Borokiri water front.
She also added that no life was lost during the time the militants were being chased by police. Also contacted for comments on the issue, the spokesman for the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), in Rivers State Lt. Col. Musa Sagir faulted the rumour making the round that militants had an encounter with his men. “There was no encounter between soldiers and militants in Borokiri area of Port Harcourt,” Musa Sagir told Niger Delta STANDARD in a telephone interview in Port Harcourt Friday. Lt. Col. Sagir however confirms shooting by the running gunmen, but denied any form of confrontation with his men.
He however, said that they are working hard to see how security could be beefed up along the axis of the water side in Port Harcourt, which he stated has been a major escape routes for the militants. He also confirmed that there is no casualty recorded in the alleged shootings. Meanwhile, Port Harcourt, between Thursday and Friday has been on celebration mood with the kick off of the CarniRiv festival. On Friday, the long stretch of Aba Road to Aggrey Road (the entry point to Borokiri Waterside) was wearing a celebration mood, as Amaechi and other Rivers people walked with style displaying the rich cultural heritage of Rivers State. Investigations conducted among some of the participants expressed happiness at the level of peace, witnessed within the Port Harcourt metropolis and urged rumour mongers to be mindful of not painting the state in bad light.
It will be recalled that there have been a litany of attacks on police station by the militant groups. In April 2007, just a day to the general elections unidentified militant groups attacked both the Nimikoro and Elelewon Police Stations. During the invasion over one hundred militants purported to be their members were released while the stations were set on fire by these groups. Two police officers were reportedly killed at Nimikoro with no death recorded at Elelewon Police Station. In May 2007, a militant group led by Soboma George allegedly invaded the Rivers State Police Headquarter and successfully secured the release of some militants identified as belonging to his group.