…Amaechi Was the Target
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock at Sunday morning’s shooting of Senator Magnus Abe — the senator representing Rivers South East in the National Assembly and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) — and Chief Tony Okocha, the chief of staff to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as well as the killing of five children by men of the Nigeria Police.
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the senior special aide on media and publicity, released a statement saying the interim state chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya did not at first believe the news until he verified it because he, like any other right-thinking individual, could not understand why policemen paid with taxpayers’ money could turn their guns against the people, including prominent citizens well-known to them.
“We wish to unequivocally condemn this premeditated murder of our five children and attempted murder of two prominent and innocent Rivers citizens by the State Police Command, which seems happy to transform into an army of occupation instead of discharging its constitutional role of safeguarding lives and property. This is a declaration of war on Rivers State and its people”, read a part of the statement.
“We are holding State Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Mbu responsible for the deaths of five innocent kids that may be our future political leaders by this agents of darkness and the attempted murder on Senator Abe and Chief Okocha, since the shooting was carried out by a team of regular police and mobile policemen from MOPOL 19 on the orders of CP Mbu.
“Acting on CP Mbu’s orders, the trigger-happy policemen had stormed the APC rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, and started shooting rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the crowd. One of the rubber bullets hit Senator Abe, who fell to the ground and would have died instantly if his aides had not quickly grabbed him and rushed him to a hospital in D/Line in Port Harcourt.
“It is reported that the case of the senator is very critical and arrangement is being made by Governor Amaechi to fly him out for medical attention if he recovers from coma. Chief Okocha’s case is a bit better, as he was only shot on his legs and may be crippled for life if urgent attention is not given to him.
“The Police ordered everybody to vacate the venue. Several persons were injured, as they scampered for safety. The Police insisted that the rally must not hold, claiming that it would constitute a breach of the peace – a very spurious claim. And we are talking of a rally aimed at mobilising the public on the agenda of a political movement, of which the Police was duly informed!
Eze recalled that APc has shouted itself hoarse that Mbu is on a mission to cause mayhem and insecurity in the state; but sadly, the powers that brought him to state for this mission not only continued to sustain him but also continued to empower him in his acts of impunity in Rivers State.
“This single man has on various occasions abused, insulted and vilified our elected State Governor in the person of Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, claiming that he (Mbu) is the chief security officer of Rivers State and not the governor as stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic!” the statement continued.
“This single man has on various occasions given police cover to GDI, the political pressure group of President Goodluck Jonathan and Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, while denying the same services to other political groups in Rivers State, including Save Rivers State Movement while we sustain the Police with Rivers State fund. This single man, since he came to Rivers State, has promoted criminality in various ways and has even made himself a member of PDP, attending their meetings!
“The National Assembly has found this man guilty and asked for his redeployment to no avail! The Rivers State Government and various pressure groups have called for his redeployment to no avail, all because the Federal Government is bent on using him to cause a war in Rivers State”!
In view of the foregoing, APC swore that the blood of the five innocent kids that were slaughtered by the Police would hang over Mbu’s head and those of his sponsors. It appealed to Nigerians to join in praying for the survival of Senator Abe and Chief Okocha, praying that by God’s grace, the trials will be overcome, as the plot of intimidation will not deter it from salvaging Rivers State from the PDP-led Federal Government whose hatred and disdain on our people are now legendary.
Interim State Chairman of APC in the state, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya also condemned the shootings and demanded the immediate release of Hon. Ike Chinwo, who was arrested by the Police after the mayhem “for no just cause”, within 24 hours unfailingly.
In another statement, Interim National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed accused President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience of causing chaos in Rivers State and making the country ungovernable.
He urged Jonathan to urgently put an end to the worsening reign of impunity in the state, which is being carried out under his watch by those who obviously acting to impress him and the first lady, saying the call has become even more imperative following the irresponsible act of brigandage by the Police, having stopped a peaceful and lawful rally billed for the Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the state by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM)
“The Police went to the venue of the rally, pulled down the erected canopies and fired tear gas at everyone around there and even into nearby homes, with the result that five children are now feared to have died from suffocation due to this shameful Gestapo-style action of the Police, who are being funded by taxpayers to protect the lives and property of the same citizens they are now brutalising and killing.
“Not only that, they injured the chief of staff to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi and fired a supposed rubber bullet, at point blank range, at Senator Magnus Abe, who is now gravely injured. The senator is believed to have been deliberately targeted for attack by the Police.
“We understand that the exceptional brutal clampdown on the planned rally by the Police, who seem to have now surpassed even their own act of brutality against the people of the state, was aimed at impressing the first lady, believed to be due in Port Harcourt on the same day (Sunday)”.
According to APC, there is no way a commissioner of police in any state will be so bold as to be waging a war against an elected governor and his aides/supporters if he is not empowered to do so by higher authorities; and as everyone knows, Mbu believes he is now the de facto Governor of Rivers because he has the support of the Presidency to exhibit impudence.
“Mbu, who is going down in Nigeria’s history as a classic example of an officer of the law turned the biggest violator of the law, has not only defied the resolutions of the National Assembly, he has also thumbed his nose at the ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He is the Alternate Inspector General of the Police who takes orders only from a conniving presidency”.
“The only reason the impunity in Rivers could have continued unabated is because it is a dress rehearsal for what is being planned for 2015, hence the APC has continued to raise the alarm over the instigated crisis in Rivers. Since this reign of impunity started, the Rivers Governor has been barred from accessing his official residence by the Police; members of the State House of Assembly have been tear-gassed and harassed endlessly; the plane owned by the state government has been grounded, using the institutions of state; and even a chartered plane bearing the governor has been prevented from take-off, not minding that the member of the state House of Assembly which the plane was supposed to be carrying was not on board. No one has apologised for this chutzpah.
It lamented that all these are happening under the watch of a president who has been widely quoted as saying his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, saying the statement now rings hollow, considering what is happening in Rivers and elsewhere, which is widely regarded as a sign of things to come ahead of 2015.
“President Jonathan should act today to bring Rivers State and indeed Nigeria back from the brink of lawlessness”, APC pleaded. “His body language must discourage the likes of Mbu from turning Nigerian into a lawless nation. He must differentiate his position as the leader of the PDP from his perch as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
In its own reaction, the River State Government claimed that Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, and not the injured two, was the real target of the trigger-happy policemen.
“Today Sunday 12th January 2014, Rivers State witnessed another senseless attack on innocent citizens in a continuous rape of democracy by the Joseph Mbu-led Rivers State Police Command”, Commissioner of Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari wrote.
“Today’s attack on members of the Save Rivers Movement, a non-governmental association at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt Rivers State and especially the unprovoked shooting of Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district, is cause for worry and an indication of the length that the PDP is willing to go to silence opposing views.
“The Rivers State government has it on good authority that Senator Abe took the bullet originally meant for Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who was billed to be present at the event. This is disconcerting especially in the light of recent revelations that the Presidency may be training snipers ahead of the 2015 elections and that Governor Amaechi is top on the list of those to be eliminated”.
The Rivers State Government then requested the Federal Government and its agencies to respect the rules of democratic engagement in their “misguided fight” against the people of Rivers State and especially save the nation from the unnecessary chaos into which federal agents like Mbu want to plunge it ahead of the 2015 elections.
“The Rivers State Government therefore reiterates its call for the re deployment of CP Mbu from Rivers State before he turns the state into a graveyard because of his intolerance and unprofessional behaviour.
“The Government of Rivers State understands that Mr. Mbu would prefer to be a policetician rather than a responsible police officer but would request that he attempts to at least protect the lives and properties of the poor Rivers taxpayers who pay his salary, and who are the real employers of the officers and men of the Rivers State police command”.
It condemned the disruption of the rally, describing it as selective, since the Police do not only allow members of the PDP Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI) to hold rallies but indeed provides them with protection. It expressed belief in the freedom of association and freedom of expression guaranteed to all Nigerians by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, asking Inspector General of Police, the Chairman Police Service commission, the Chairman Nigeria Human Rights Commission and Mr. President on whose table the buck ends as Commander in Chief and the Nation’s Number One citizen to call Mbu to order and bring an end to this impunity in Rivers State, and restore the hope of Rivers people that they have not been marked as enemies and lamb for slaughter in their own country.
“Despite the shenanigans of Mbu and his cohorts, the Rivers State Government wishes to reassure Rivers people of its commitment to fight on the side of the people and on the side of truth”, the statement added. “We appeal to our people to remain law-abiding and not to take the laws into their own hands as we promise to continue to use all legitimate and legal means to guarantee the safety of our people and their rights to exist in Nigeria”.
However, the Rivers Police Command has denied allegations of the shootings, saying so single bullet was released while it dispersed the rally.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmad Muhammad, organisers of the rally were dispersed because they did not obtain a Police permit.
“I can confirm to you that Sen. Magnus Abe was not shot”, Muhammad said. “The Police did not expend any bullet while dispersing the crowd. It is not true. The Police did not shoot the senator; we only used minimum force to disperse the crowd at the venue of the rally”.