By: Felix Ikpotor
Due to the series of cult related killings that have rocked Kono-Boue community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State leading to people deserting their homes, the paramount ruler of Bua-Boue, HRH, Mene Taalor Tornwe has called on the security agencies to immediately intervene as the hoodlums are now going about looting people’s houses and selling their properties.
Mene Tornwe who spoke with PHSpectator in Port Harcourt said he is worried about the situation.
“The boys are now breaking into people’s houses, stealing people’s properties, removing roofs and selling it so I need the government and security agencies to come in immediately to stop this looting,” he said.
The traditional ruler who narrated how his palace was burnt down by the cultists, said before now he has put in place enough security measures to stern out cultism in the community.
He said: “ In 2017 I set up a committee and made all cultists to sign an undertaken denouncing cultism. From that period to February 2019 we celebrated over one year of no cult activities Kono-Boue”.
The paramount ruler said the recent incident that happened in the community was as a result of the order by the State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to all traditional rulers to cleanse their domain of cultism and gansterism, adding that after then he took steps to implement the governor’s directive.
“I convoked a meeting at the Police Divisional headquarters in Bori where all Community Development Committees, community chiefs, stakeholders and all concerned resolved to ban all cult related activities in Bua-Boue and also asked all cultists in the community to surrender to the government. We constituted a vigilante group and the communiqué was delivered in all the communities in the area,” he said.
Mene Tornwe said that few days after the measures were taken someone convoked another meeting where the cultists in the community were told that the governor was not after them but the king of the community, adding that after two weeks of the said meeting his palace in the community was burnt down including that of his elder brother who has been away from the community for several years.
He alleged that the cultists were been sponsored by a group of persons such that each time they are arrested, they will get a lawyer to take them on bail and they will come back to the community to cause more havoc.
The paramount ruler said the matter has been reported to the various security agencies and called on all concerned to assist him in rebuilding his palace so that he can return home to his people while he urged the cultists to denounce cultism and criminal activities for them to have a secured future.
So far, over 30 persons have been killed in the community with several houses burnt.
