Military Invasion of Bille: Community Seeks Govt Intervention

Residents and stakeholders of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have appealed to the federal and state governments to intervene and prevail on the Nigerian Army to withdraw the siege they have laid to the kingdom.
Those who spoke to National Point said the people have been living in fear since the army invasion of the community over one month ago. One person was killed and another person was critically injured when people in army uniform in a boat shot at two occupants of another boat travelling to Port Harcourt on September 2.
What followed that incident was an invasion of the community by the army, who have been harassing, manhandling and detaining people in the area, including the traditional ruler.
Mr. Abel Biobele, an opinion leader from the community recalled what he described as a bad Tuesday for the people of Bille when on September 6, 2022, they were woken up by sporadic gunfire and mass arrests by the army.
Biobele said the issue started on Friday, September 2, 2022 when two Bille sons were traveling to Port Harcourt and their boat was intercepted by another boat occupied by people they thought were soldiers. So, they slowed down and when the boat got to them the men in army uniform opened fire on them which led to the death of one person and the other victim sustained various degrees of injuries and is currently in the hospital battling for life.
Disturbed by the worrisome development, Biobele said the invasion is both unwarranted and needless. “Soldiers are invading Bille kingdom shooting sporadically as though we are in a war situation, manhandling our revered king and embarking on mass arrest is absolutely needless as Bille kingdom has been very peaceful and friendly to soldiers operating in Bille kingdom,” he said.
Narrating their ordeal, the survivor of the September 2 shooting incident said, “The people that intercepted their boat wore army uniform. But we doubted their identity. The invasion is surprising because there is no problem between soldiers and Bille community.”
The Public Relations Officer of Bille Kingdom Council of Chiefs, Chief BomaDappa, called on the Nigerian Army to end the invasion. He also appealed to the Federal and State governments to come to their aid as Bille, which had all along been a peaceful, regretting that the community is now enveloped in fear.