The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has kicked against the disobedience of a court order and disruption of peace in Rumuokwurusi-Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The coalition asked Governor Nyesom Wike and Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, to intervene and ensure security of lives and property.
Executive Director of Human Rights Advocates Higher King; Executive Director, Justice Advocates Du Internationale Young Bassey; Executive Director, Electorate Rights Defence and Education Network David Adejoja and the Executive Director (Legal), International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights Paul Nwakwoala, addressed a joint news conference yesterday.
The coalition frowned on the “ignoble, illegal, unlawful and undemocratic” acts of certain persons, within and outside Rumuokwurusi, while expressing displeasure on the disobedience of the order of the Magistrates’ Court.
They said: “Highly condemnable is the arrest and detention, by the Rivers State Police Command, Chairman of Rumuokwurusi Town Council, Kingsley Ejekwu, on May 8, though he was released the same day on administrative bail.
“The disruption of activities at the Oil Mill International Market, built and maintained by Rumuokwurusi Town Council, and collection of revenues by unauthorised people, being the disgruntled persons within the town, thereby depriving the Rumuokwurusi Town Council and the town of its daily revenue, really needed for its development, must also be condemned.
“The arrest and detention of Comrade Ejekwu was a ploy to incarcerate him, thereby making way for certain persons, in concert with their cohorts, to plunge into Oil Mill International Market and cart away the Rumuokwurusi Town Council’s revenue.
“The arrest and detention of Comrade Ejekwu, two months to the expiration of his two-year tenure, amounts to contempt of court. All the persons involved in undermining the order of the court must be brought to book and made to account for the revenues realised and refund it.”
The coalition lamented that the situation could cause chaos in Rumuokwurusi if not quickly controlled, and insisted that the police commissioner apologise to the chairman of Rumuokwurusi Town Council.
Police Spokesman Nnamdi Omoni could not be reached for comments as at last night.
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