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Tag: Rivers

  • Debunking their lies about Amaechi’s era in Rivers

    If not for the sake of clarity, I would have dismissed a piece by Governor Nyesom Wike’s media aide titled: “Amaechi, lies and needless excuses”, with a wave of the hand.

    In his piece, Rt.Hon Chibuike Amaechi was portrayed as one without any achievement in the health and education sectors when he was the governor of Rivers State.

    The governor’s aide may also be probably suffering from amnesia if we consider that the first thing his boss did on assumption of office last year was to withdraw all Rivers students on scholarship abroad back to Nigeria as sponsored by Amaechi’s administration and the crippling of free education and free health care systems introduced by Amaechi.

    It is on record that Amaechi built over 500 model primary schools. About 250 were fully furnished and functional while about 300 or more were completed and yet to be furnished before he left office.

    Amaechi focused on building a new economy that called for massive infrastructural turn around, building of a mega city he called “The Greater Port Harcourt City”. The establishment of a world class education system that ignited human capital development through oversea scholarships will not be forgotten in a hurry.

    Non indigenes resident in Rivers had no course to worry as they fully benefited from Amaechi’s benevolence. For Amaechi, there was no indigenous status, there was no segregation at all. This principle of oneness saw Amaechi recruiting over 3000 non indegenes into the state work force,particularly in education Ministry.

    In one of his visits to the Ignatius Ajuru University in Port Harcourt, Amaechi also consequently reversed the payment of fees which was discriminatory for non indigenes. Amaechi pegged the fee at flat rate for all and sundry.

    Amaechi’s model primary schools are spotted in all nooks and crannies of the state including the remote communities. The purpose was to bring education closer to the people. The era when pupils travel far to neighboring communities to acquire knowledge became history. Amaechi’s model primary and secondary schools received wide spread commendation  from both local and international communities. His slogan “bring the child to school naked, we will provide school uniform, sandals, bags,books,laptop for every child” was sacrosanct.

    Like every other projects, Amaechi embarked on affordable health care delivery. His health policy which cared for all was also applauded. Be you non indigene or indigene, all you required was to walk a stone thrown to access the model health centers and you would be treated free of charge.Patients from all walks of life trooped in drove to access Amaechi’s health center including Abia State indegenes. Then, No matter the nature of your sickness or ailment you were hopeful of getting treated. That was the Rivers State I know.

    As the governor, Amaechi recognised that his primary function as stipulated in the nation’s statute book was to provide adequate security for the people and to maintain absolute law and order.

    Amaechi promptly and aggressively confronts a task as if he was fighting with his last blood, especially when it has to do with the issue of insecurity

    He waged war against criminality and violence which could affect the revenue base of the state. Then, security was well funded as such; the prevalence kidnapping and terrorism in the state had no hiding place. Youths were meaningfully engaged. Some in crafts, others in sports and some in agriculture as the case may be.

    Young school leavers were hopeful of being incorporated into the system due to the prevailing job opportunities. Corp members posted to the state saw no need returning to their home state due to job opportunities.

    Amaechi no doubt revitalised the state from the decay it was kept by previous government. Then, anyone who lived in the Garden City before October 2007 will concur with my view.

    During his first year in office, Amaechi literally turned the state into a busy construction site due to the volume of construction work ongoing. Some of these roads that have gained facelift  due to Amaechi’s intervention are the dualisation of Elekahia Road, dualisation of G.U Ake Road, construction and dualisation of the Trans Amadi road, dualisation and expansion of Ikwerre road,construction of Obiri Ikweree inter- change,construction and dualisation of the Owerri/Airport road which is a federal road among others.

    Amaechi was passionate in diversifying the state economy through his passion in investing in agriculture. Here, fish farms were built in some local government areas of the state including the Buguma fish farms. The Ogoni banana farm and the gigantic Songhai farm in Ebubu Eleme are standing legacies of his administration.

    When Amaechi held sway, Port Harcourt, the Garden City was a place to dwell in. It was a place to behold, it was a safe haven for investors and investors alike including the multinationals and indigenous companies.

     

    • Oyemaechi sent this piece from Abuja.

  • Rivers Rerun: Etche LG election suspended indefinitely

    Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Rivers, says re-run legislative elections in Etche Local Government Area have been suspended indefinitely.

    Ikoiwak told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the Dec. 10 elections in the area were marred by violence.

    He said elections were scheduled for a state assembly seat and House of Representatives for Etche/Omuma constituency.

    He said elections did not take place in up to 30 per cent of the Local Government because hoodlums disrupted activities in the area.

    “ In Etche, elections did not take place in up to 30 per cent of the area. Even when deployments were made on the eve of the election, hoodlums went there and stopped INEC officials from going to the polling units.

    “ Since they did not allow elections to be completed in Etche, that constituency will have to wait.

    “ This is because INEC will not go back immediately.  Materials have already gone into the field.  “Some were snatched and destroyed. We need to plan for another election in the area,” Ikoiwak said.

    The REC said elections in Omuma Local Government had been concluded and that the result for the federal constituency would be announced when Etche was ready.

  • Rivers re-run: matters arising

    It is no longer in doubt that last week’s re-run legislative elections in Rivers state detracted substantially from a standard free, fair and credible poll. This should be a disappointment given the heavy deployment of men and materials for that singular poll.

    Figures reeled out before the election showed 28,000 policemen, 18 gunboats, three helicopters, dogs and horses were handy for the exercise. This was in addition to the Army, Naval, Air force and DSS personnel mobilized to ensure that violence and all manner of malpractices were reduced to their barest minimum.

    Given these, the expectation was that security agencies would provide a level playing ground for INEC officials to do their job so that the outcome of the elections would approximate the collective will of the electorate as expressed at the ballot box. Curiously, accounts from independent observers, election monitors and politicians from across the divide speak of infractions that cast slur on the impartiality of security agencies and credibility of the elections.

    A coalition of about 70 civil society organizations under the aegis of Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room; observed late commencement of the elections with 10.30am as the earliest time while in some, it started later than 2pm. It reported that delays were so severe in parts of Khana and Eleme rendering them unable to confirm if voting started at all even as materials and staff never arrived in Lleuku and Nyokoro.

    If these were not enough, their further report that a team of policemen and military personnel arrived in a commando style and removed election materials and staff from their locations when counting was about to start in two wards in the Gokana local government gives serious cause to worry. In Bomu, presiding officers were waiting to count; the situation was calm when a team of police and military personnel arrived in Toyota Hilux vehicles with an armored personnel carrier, chased voters away and carried materials and ad hoc staff, the coalition reported. They further observed the same curious manifestations in Etche, Andoni and Eleme local governments. The coalition summed up its observations thus: “the conducts observed called into question the neutrality of security forces and election officials”

    Apparently piqued by this damaging report, the Nigerian Army was quick to deny involvement in alleged “killings, ballot snatching and mass arrests during the election”. The General Officer Commanding 6, Division, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim said they only acted swiftly in response to security breaches to enforce the law, provide aid to the police and other security agencies.

    On its part, the Nigerian Police found itself issuing two statements on the issue. In the first, its spokesman Don Awunah faulted reports by a non-governmental organization CLEEN Foundation which said the election was “marred by irregularities, large scale violence, professional misconduct and open bias by security operatives and electoral personnel” He admitted there were infractions of law in the course of the elections but the police and other security agencies rose to the occasion and ensured the election prevailed.

    But in the second statement, apparently succumbing to the weight of evidence on the matter, he now said “some security personnel were arrested for professional misconduct, actions, inactions, omission and commission that were detrimental to the electoral process”. For this, he said a high powered investigation panel is currently looking into this unacceptable professional misconduct.

    Before this, video clips had made the rounds in the media showing some of the INEC officials complaining bitterly of having been manhandled by the police for inexplicable reasons. INEC returning officer for Rivers East Senatorial district, Prof. Orji Onu Ekumankama gave account of how a contingent of the police and the army arrested and took them away from their location together with the results just before collation was to start. He said there was no threat to law and order before their arrival.

    It is evident from these accounts that the conduct of some security operatives was a negation of the impartial role they ought to play in providing a level playing ground for a free and fair election to take place. And if one may ask, what was the rationale for carting away election materials and officials in many areas when voting had been concluded and collation just about to commence? What sort of challenge at the collation centers would prove so daunting for the security agencies that would warrant the confiscation of result sheets, chasing away accredited party agents and hauling INEC officials into waiting vans? And on whose instance were the security agencies acting?

    Assuming there was threat to law and order at the end of those elections at the collation centers, what is the standard conduct expected of security operatives in such circumstances: provide adequate security for the collation to progress unhindered or cart away the materials and arrest INEC officials in very questionable circumstances?

    These posers have been raised to underscore the point that the conduct of security forces contributed largely to the credibility deficits that was the outcome of the elections in Rivers state. It is therefore not enough for the army to assert that the role of its members was limited to providing aid to the police and other security agencies where there were security breaches. Neither was the attempt to exculpate them from events that compromised the credibility of that election successful.

    Such excuses cannot stand in the face of several reports of the police and the army carting away results sheets and bundling electoral officers into waiting vehicles when collation was about to commence. There does not seem to be any reasonable explanation for that except the lure to put such results to partisan advantage. But for the doggedness and determination of the Rivers electorate, the outcome of those elections would have been different from the results that have been announced.

    The matter is damn serious and should neither be covered up nor wished away given its frightening prospects for the success of democracy. We say so because allegations of security men aiding politicians to manipulate elections had been traded during the governorship election in Edo and the senatorial re-run in Imo.

    If it was convenient to dismiss those ones, the case of Rivers has shown that we can continue to ignore them at a great peril to our democracy. During Obasanjo’s regime, election results were so manipulated that Nigerians almost lost hope in the credibility of that process. It took copious assurances and measures by Yar’Adua and his successor Jonathan to bequeath the nation an electoral process that showed substantial improvement for public confidence to be restored.

    Jonathan strove relentlessly to give the nation an electoral process that was a remarkable improvement on the charade of the Obasanjo era. The true test of this was evident in the success recorded by President Buhari in the last general election.

    As a beneficiary of free and fair elections, the open partisanship of security operatives in the Rivers contest should be a serious embarrassment to Buhari. And he cannot afford to sit by while the gains recorded in the democratic process are being quickly reversed through the embarrassing conduct of security operatives in conjunction with some politicians.

    At a time the example set by Jonathan is having a domino effect in the West African Sub-region; it is a sad commentary that our security agencies are found neck deep in actions and inactions that compromise the credibility of the electoral process. Buhari must order a high powered investigation that will include independent actors into why in so many areas, security operatives had officials and election materials removed as collation was about to commence. That is the surest way of reassuring that we have not relapsed to the era when election results were falsified, altered and written in hotel rooms in favor of preferred candidates.

  • Wike writes off police probe of Rivers poll violence

    Wike writes off police probe of Rivers poll violence

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has written off the police probe of the violence during the Rivers rerun legislative elections.

    He accused the police of being behind the killing and the violence saying they lack the moral authority to undertake a probe.

    Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris last week announced that the police would probe the pockets of violence during the elections in which a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and his orderly were beheaded, among other violent activities.

    But speaking at the Victory Thanksgiving Mass organised by the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) at Our Lady Chaplaincy of the Catholic Institute of West Africa, for “a successful rerun/supplementary elections,” Wike said:  “We are not a party to their so-called panel.  We have passed that stage and we cannot fall into the trap of a panel of inquiry. After killing our people, you want us to assist you unravel what? It is the police that killed our people.”

    “If it is a country that believes in its image, so many people  would have  lost their jobs. They cannot ask themselves  why 28,000 policemen, yet to be ascertained  number of soldiers, Police  Dogs and  Horses, gunboats and helicopters  could  not police  ordinary  legislative elections.

    “It is because the police were the ones committing the fraud, violence  and election  materials snatching.  We are accusing the police of mass murder and  they turn  around to set up  a panel  of  inquiry.

    “After killing our people, you fraudulently set a panel of inquiry.  Up till now they don’t know that we are far ahead. This panel is a mere booby trap to indict PDP Members.  If they cared about lives, they wouldn’t do what they did .

    “We are here to thank God for the victory he has given Rivers State.  We came out from a battle and God was our leader during the fight. We owe God a lot”, he said.

    In his sermon, Rev. Monsignor Pius Kii said the coalition of forces would l never defeat Rivers State.

    The thanksgiving service was attended by PDP leaders, Senators, House of Representatives members, House of Assembly members and Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairmen.

  • Rivers: IGP raises panel to probe audio tape

    Rivers: IGP raises panel to probe audio tape

    •Wike accuses APC of being behind the show •You’ve being caught pants down and cannot find where to hide, says APC

    The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris has raised a team of detectives and experts to conduct a thorough investigation into the audio tape released by online medium SaharaReporters.

    SaharaReporters claimed that the voice on the tape was that of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, in which he said he would kill officials of the electoral commission who fail to honour their words to rig in his favour.

    A statement in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, stated that the investigative team is mandated to conduct forensic analysis on the audio report. It is also to look into the statement of the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmud that “there were 70 incidents that tended to derail the  December 10, 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State.”

    The police have also urged the government of Rivers State and INEC to avail the team available facts.

    “The Government of Rivers State and INEC are enjoined to avail the investigative team with facts at their disposal and grant them the desired cooperation and assistance to achieve a comprehensive and conclusive investigation.”

    However, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George has dismissed the telephone conversation allegedly made between Wike and some officials of INEC as a fabrication.

    He noted that Sahara Reporters, which released the audio acted for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and described it as outright lie, saying whole thing was an  allegation and fabrication, as he added that there was no time that the governor made any contact with officials of INEC for the purpose of rigging the rerun elections.

    Tam-George said that modern technology has made it possible for a person’s voice to be manipulated, alleging that SaharaReporters has been the propaganda arm of the APC.

    He said, “No one would have thought that the APC and its cowardly media allies would resort to an audio impersonation of Governor Nyesom Wike, using a voice changer technology. The voice changer technology is often used by teenagers mainly in South Korea and Japan to launch innocent technology prank at each other, mainly for laughs.”

    Reacting yesterday, the APC sate Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone said, “Having been caught in the web of their own machinations, what do you expect Governor Nyesom Wike and his Commissioner to say?

    “Often when anyone is caught pants down, the most convenient and ready response is to blame and blackmail others. The truth remains that Gov. Wike in that SaharaReporters’ audio tape was caught pants down and he simply cannot find where to hide.”

    The police asked “The election observers, civil society groups, human rights watchers and other stakeholders to assist the team with valuable information they may have.”

    The investigative team which is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police has 30 days to complete the investigation and submit report.

    Promising that findings from the investigation will be made public, the police Force also noted that it is committed to enthroning the principles of democratic policing and ensuring that the IGP’s master plan on election security takes hold in the country in accordance with international best practices and core values of Policing with integrity.

  • Rivers: IGP set up panel to investigate ‘Wike’s audio’, 70 incidents

     The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim  Idris  has set up a team of detectives and experts to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents of electoral malpractices during the recent election in Rivers State  highlighted by the Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission ( INEC).
    The team is expected to unravel those who are directly or indirectly responsible for the incidences and bring them to justice.
    The INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmud had mentioned in a statement that  there were 70  incidents that derailed the legislative  election that took place in Rivers State last week.
    A statement in Abuja on Saturday by the Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, stated that the investigative team is also mandated to conduct forensic analysis on the audio report released by Sahara Reporters purportedly to be the voice of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
    According to the statement: “The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in response to the statement credited to the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmud to the effect that there were 70 incidents that tended to derail the 10th December, 2016 re-run elections in Rivers State has set up a team of detectives and experts to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents mentioned by the INEC chairman with a view to unraveling those who directly or indirectly are responsible for such incidences and bring them to justice.
    “The investigative team is also mandated to conduct forensic analysis on the audio report released by Sahara Reporters purportedly to be the voice of the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike (CON) pertaining to the concluded elections”.
    The police have also urged the government of Rivers State and INEC to avail the team available facts.
     “The Government of Rivers State and INEC are enjoined to avail the investigative team with facts at their disposal and grant them the desired cooperation and assistance to achieve a comprehensive and conclusive investigation.
    “The election observers, civil society groups, Human Rights watchers and other stakeholders are equally called upon to assist the team with valuable information they may have.
     The investigative team which will be headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police has 30 days to complete the investigation and submit report.
    The police also promised that findings from the investigation will be made public.
    The Police Force also noted that it committed to enthroning the principles of democratic policing and ensuring that the IGPs master plan on election security takes hold in Nigeria in accordance with international best practices and core value of Policing with integrity.
  • Why Rivers rerun was marred with violence, by Obuah

    Why Rivers rerun was marred with violence, by Obuah

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Felix Obuah, has attributed the violence that marred the recent rerun to the desperation of unpopular candidates to win.

    He described the state as the stronghold of the PDP, wondering why the All Progressives Congress (APC) was insensitive to the political reality.

    Obuah congratulated the PDP candidates who emerged victorious, urging them to fulfill their campaign promises to the people.

    In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, the chairman described the victory as the triumph of light over darkness.

    He said the defeat of the PDP,  especially in the Rivers Southeast and Rivers East senatorial districts, did not reflect the wishes of the people, adding that elections did not hold in the areas.

    Obuah said the victory of the PDP candidates underscored the party’s popularity and the belief of the people in its programmes.

    He said his prediction that many voters will reject the APC had come to pass.

    The chairman commended the  PDP followers for their courage, saying that they were resolute in their bid to vote for the candidates of their choice in the face of intimidation.

    Obuah described the rerun as the worst in the history Rivers State, pointing out that the report of some monitoring groups captured the impunity of the security agencies.

    He said the  Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, the Army, Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were allof to the activities of suspected thugs.

    The chairman alleged that security agents took sides with political parties during the exercise in e Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency.

    He said the results purportedly declared in Rivers South East Senatorial District were false, stressing that voting in the area was characterised by hulaballoo.

    Obuah lamented that the INEC and security agents closed their eyes to the impunity.

    He recalled that, despite the assurance by the electoral commission and the police that a level-playing ground will be provided for the candidates, the officials demonstrated partisanship.

    Obuah said the PDP will challenge the outcome of the exercise in Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme and Oyigbo local government areas.

    He called for an investigation into the alleged partisanship of the INEC officials and security agents to prevent a reoccurence.

    He alleged that a particular high-ranking federal official  connived with the security agents to brutalisePDP members, hijack electoral materials and perpetuate violence.

    He said the criminal and shameful actions during the re-run  will not go unchallenged.

    Obuah called for the arrest and prosecution suspects in the orgy of violence.

    He said: “Those who conspired  in the hijack of INEC materials, killing, shooting and maiming of innocent Ogonis during the re-run should not go unpunished.

    “The arrest and prosecution of these men are necessary to save the future of the nascent democracy and also to serve as deterrent to others who think that the state is their personal property.”

  • Rivers Rerun: Wike’s leaked audio tape has confirmed our fears-APC

    Rivers Rerun: Wike’s leaked audio tape has confirmed our fears-APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the audio recording where Rivers State Governor, Nyeson Wike was allegedly threatening to kill electoral officers has confirmed its earlier fears about plots by the governor and the PDP to achieve victory through sinister means during the Rivers legislative rerun elections.
    In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC said the only logical conclusion to be drawn from the audio recording was that the victory of the PDP during the election was achieved through underhand dealing and intimidation of electoral officials.
    Abdullahi said the APC has always abhor any form of violence especially as it relates to elections or any other matter and asked security agents to do the needful and ensure that sponsors and perpetrators of violence, no matter how highly placed, are brought to justice.
    An audio recording posted by an online newspaper revealed Wike threatening not to allow some electoral officials, especially those posted to Khana to leave the state if they failed to do what they have been paid to do.
    The statement reads: “The leaked audio recording indicating the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike admitting to bribing some electoral officials and threatening to kill them if his instructions were not followed has confirmed the fears raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the leadup to the recently conducted December 10, 2016 legislative re-run elections in the State.
    “Going by the revelations from the leaked audio recordings, it is obvious that Governor Wike may have engaged in unwholesome conducts that might have compromised the integrity of the electoral process and undermined his office as the Chief Security Officer of a state.
    “The only logical conclusion from this therefore is that the electoral victories of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have been achieved through underhand dealings and intimidation of officials.
    “Recall that on December 6, 2016, the APC alerted security agencies on reports of a massive arms build-up and other sinister plots that Wike and the PDP planned to execute on the day of the legislative rerun elections in Rivers State.
    “Nigerians have watched with grave concern how the process of the just concluded legislative rerun election has led to the death of ordinary citizens in the state including security officers. The statement that Governor Wike appeared to have made on record has now pointed directly at where responsibility should be placed for the violence that attended the election.
    “It is also evident that the allegations by the Rivers State government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of an assassination threat on Wike and the allegation by Wike that APC Governors funded violence in the state during the election might have been deliberately contrived to cover-up the role that the Governor had played in the violence that attended the election.
    “The APC condemns any form of violence as it relates to elections or any other matter. In this instance, we urge security agencies to do the needful and ensure that sponsors and perpetrators of violence, no matter how highly placed, are brought to justice.”

  • Rivers Rerun: Wike leads protest to police headquarters

    Rivers Rerun: Wike leads protest to police headquarters

    Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers on Thursday led thousands of supporters to stage a protest over alleged police high handedness in the just concluded legislative re-run election.

    The protesters also accused the police of killing PDP members and demanded the transfer of two policemen alleged to be masterminds of the police attacks.

    The protest which was peaceful started from Government House to Azikiwe street and Bank Road before terminating at the Police command headquarters on Moscow road in the city centre.

    Addressing the police, Wike told the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Cyril Okoro that people of the state were fed up with alleged killings by some policemen and other security operatives.

    “On behalf of the Rivers Government and good people of the state, we have to let the police know that enough is enough.

    “We demand that Assistant Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations, Mr Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Akin Fakorede be posted out of the state.

    “We have come here peacefully to communicate this demand and urge that this request is communicated to Police headquarters in Abuja because I (Wike) have written repeatedly (to IGP).

    “Please, I don’t want people to die anymore and definitely do not want corrupt senior police officers posted to Rivers state,” he said.

    Wike said the police had refused to sanction the two policemen in spite alleged video footage which purported the duo and other security operatives attempting to snatch results of the Rivers East Senatorial District.

    The governor described as unfortunate and worrisome a situation where policemen who are supposed to be non-partisan paraded themselves as politicians in uniform.

    According to him, the bias security operatives must be posted out of the state.

    “If they don’t leave the state, then we will do all we can to ensure that they leave this state because they have killed innocent people,” the governor claimed.

    In his response, Mr Cyril Okoro, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Rivers assured Wike that the command will deliver the message to the Inspector General Police for possible action.

    Some senior government  officials who participated in the protest included Rivers Deputy Gov. Ipalibo Banigo; House Speaker, Dabo Adams, ex-Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo and former Deputy Gov. Tele Ikuru.

    Others include PDP state Chairman, Felix Obuah, former United Bank of Africa Chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra and commissioners and state legislators. (NAN)

  • Rivers: Police arrest killers of DSP Alkali

    Rivers: Police arrest killers of DSP Alkali

    The police have arrested five people for their alleged involvement in the murder of one Police Officer, DSP Mohammed Alkali during the legislative re-run election in Rivers State.
    Following the death of the officer, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris set up a team to investigate the killing.
    In a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Spokesman, Don Awunah, he noted that five suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder.
    Suspects arrested are:  Noble Nwaerema,   Dike Deinpiribo, Valentine Alalibo, Onwunari J. Warmate, and Iloke Stephen.
    According to the statement: “The high powered investigation team set up by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris and saddled with the responsibility of investigating the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder of DSP Mohammed Alkali in Rivers State during the December 10, 2016 re-run parliamentary election has had a major breakthrough with the arrest of the principal suspects listed below:
    “Upon further interrogation of the suspects, it was discovered that they were active members of the group that gruesomely murdered DSP Alkali Mohammed in cold blood on the 10th of December, 2016 in Rivers State.
    “This vicious gang doubled as political thugs who were part of the group recruited by Politicians from Rivers and neighboring States to scuttle the December 10, 2016 re-run parliamentary election”.
    The statement further read: “The suspects have confessed to the crime and are cooperating with the Police to recover the severed part of the slain officer.
    The police also hinted that investigation is ongoing to rescue the missing orderly.
    “Investigation is on top gear to rescue the missing orderly to the murdered officer and recover the police vehicle that was snatched during the incident. The suspects were also found out to be linked to the leader of a major political party in the state”.
    The police has  also sought information that will enable them apprehend other people believed to be linked to death.
    “The Inspector General of Police is hereby soliciting for information,support and cooperation of the good people of Rivers State in apprehending the remaining members of the gang who are more likely to cause further harm to security personnel and innocent citizens.
     “However, the Nigeria Police Force is determined to ensure that gangsterism, cultism and sponsored political assassination become a thing of the past in Rivers State and Nigeria at large”.