RIVERS: Gunmen Bury Man Alive as Community Watch Helplessly

Yeghe community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State is still in shock following a report that a citizen of the area was buried alive by hoodlums.

Southern City News gathered that the victim, Mr. Pagbo Koryene, was whisked away from his home at gunpoint in the presence of witnesses by some armed bandits.

Several days after Koryene was taken away, his whereabouts remained unknown, but his family members commenced rites of passage, having gathered that he was buried alive by his captors.

A source in Yeghe, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned for security reasons, said that Korneye was abducted the same day a liaison office belonging to a politician in the area, Senator Magnus Abe, was set ablaze in Ogoniland by suspected arsonists.

The source disclosed that the victim was the leader of one of the political parties in the community, alleging that the act was not unconnected with the military invasion.

It was learnt that when the house of an ex-militant, Mr. Solomon Ndigbara, popularly called Osama Bin Laden, was allegedly brought down by the military, some boys loyal to him (Ndigbara) abducted Koryene in reprisal.

When reached, the wife of the victim, Mrs. Ijeoma Koryene, who was in a mourning mood, cried that her love had already been buried alive by his captors.

The woman who was convinced that her husband was killed amidst tears narrated, “I and my husband were in the house when we started hearing gunshots. We heard that soldiers and Solomon Ndigbara’s boys were fighting.

“Later, Ndigbara and his boys came and took my husband that he (husband) and his ‘Oga,’ Magnus Abe, have destroyed his house. They blindfolded him and pushed him into a car and they drove off.

“Since then, I have not seen my husband. We started to look for him everywhere. We even sent some people to plead with his captors to release him, but to no avail.

“After one week, we started hearing that he was taken to a forest and was buried alive the same day he was taken away.

“They have made me a widow and my two children fatherless. How can I take care of these children all alone? The government should do something to find out who has put this pepper into my eyes. My husband did not do them anything. They killed him like a common criminal.”

Similarly, the elder brother to the victim, Mr. Eric Koryene said, “When I heard that my younger brother, Paby, had been taken away by Solomon Ndigbara and his boys, I started looking for him. Since then, we have not found him.

“I have taken a bottle of drink to the chiefs and elders of our community to help me plead with Solomon and his gang to release my brother. In response, the chiefs said that they are aware of it and that they will do something. Till today, we cannot find him.

“We have reported to the police station in our place and the Police Divisional Headquarters in Bori, yet no way. But last week, we began to hear that Solomon and his boys buried my brother alive. Even as I am now, I can’t go to my village because Solomon has vowed to kill us.

“The Federal Government should help us out now because all of us are    outside the community. They have also killed several other youths secretly.”

When reached at press time, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command said he was not aware of the development.

Speaking from his hideout, Solomon Ndigbara, denied the allegation against him, saying he knew nothing about the kidnapping and killing of Pagbo Koryene.

Ndigbara also described the allegations against him, including that of gun running, as false and politically motivated.

“I have no hand in the killing and burying of Pagbo Koryene. I have no hand in whatever happened to the man. Pagbo (Koryene) is my boy. It is surprising that some people can accuse me of kidnapping and burying him alive.

“On the case of gun running for which I am declared wanted, I have never involved myself in such a crime or any other crime since I embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty,”

Source:Punch