Gunmen Attack Rivers Monarch, Shoot Bangha Paramount Ruler in Khana

Fear and tension spread across Rivers State on Sunday evening after gunmen attacked a traditional ruler, leaving the Paramount Ruler of Bangha Kingdom, Suanu Baridam, injured.

The Rivers monarch attack occurred around 5:30 p.m. as the first-class ruler was returning from an engagement in Okwale community, within Khana Local Government Area.

The assailants ambushed his convoy along Tekar Sogho Road, between Taabaa Junction and Sogho, and attempted to force the vehicle to stop before opening fire when the driver refused.

During the attack, King Suanu Baridam was shot in the leg, while his driver also sustained gunshot injuries. Both victims were rushed to the hospital for medical attention, with the monarch currently receiving treatment. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen emerged from nearby bushes and fired repeatedly at the black Prado Jeep, shattering the windscreen and damaging other parts of the vehicle, raising fears that the attack was a targeted assassination attempt.

Confirming the incident, the Rivers State Police Command identified the victim as King T. Y. Baridam, the Paramount Ruler of Bangha Community, and disclosed that this was the second assassination attempt on the monarch. Police said patrol teams were immediately deployed to comb the area and track down the attackers, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The gunmen attack on the Rivers monarch has renewed concerns over the safety of traditional rulers and the growing wave of violent attacks in parts of Rivers State.