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EFCC kicks as PDP supporters prevent arrest of Rivers guber candidate

By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt 
09 June 2022   |   2:40 am
There was mild drama, yesterday, at Port Harcourt International Airport, as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters reportedly hauled stones at operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission

[FILES] EFCC at APC’s national covention ground

There was mild drama, yesterday, at Port Harcourt International Airport, as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters reportedly hauled stones at operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who attempted to arrest the party’s  2023 governorship  candidate, Siminialayi Fubara

The drama, it was gathered, started as the plane carrying Fubara and other PDP chieftains, who had accompanied him to Abuja to receive his Certificate of Return touched down at the airport.

The Guardian learnt that as the operatives moved to effect the arrest, some youths, believed to be his supporters, resisted and attacked them.

Some of the EFCC operatives, reportedly, sustained injuries.

Recall that the EFCC had declared Fubara, the immediate past Accountant General of Rivers and three other top state government officials wanted over alleged N117 billion fraud.

Fubara, who won the state PDP governorship primary on May 25, proceeded from the airport to the state party secretariat, where he addressed party supporters and stakeholders.

He thanked them for all their supports and appealed to them not to allow him to fail.

He said: “I just want to say thank you for all your support. If you think you want me to fail, it means u want that man that have done everything for you to fail.”

“I think it’s a reflection of where we are coming from. If for any reason you have any annoyance that it didn’t happen your own way, to show that spirit  of love, I can assure you that you have nothing  to worry about, the umbrella is so big, it will  cover everybody”.

When contacted, the state commissioner of police, Friday Eboka, said he was not aware of the incident, adding that the airport was not under his jurisdiction.

“At the airport? Well, I’m not aware. The airport is not under me. The airport and seaport have their own commissioners of police,” Eboka explained.

BUT the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the EFCC condemned the attack on its operatives. The Head, Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwajeren, who confirmed the attack to newsmen, alleged that thugs breached the security of the Port Harcourt Airport International Airport, and blocked the agency’s operatives from carrying out their lawful duty of arresting Fubara, who he claimed, had been declared wanted for graft by the Commission.

Uwajeren, in a statement, yesterday, said: “The armed thugs assaulted operatives of the Commission, who demonstrated commendable restraint under extreme provocation.

The Commission condemns the blatant attempt to obstruct justice, warning that its civility should not be taken for granted.”

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