Police confirm killing of Rivers APC campaign coordinator, silent on death of five others

Vows to bring perpetrators to book

Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the killing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Coordinator in Ahoada-West Council of Rivers State, Mr. Chisom Lennard, during the governorship and House of Assembly elections, vowing to bring the perpetrators to book.

The Police Commissioner in charge of Election Duties in the state Command, Echeng Echeng, in a statement, yesterday, by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, asked operatives of the Command to deploy all necessary human and investigative assets to ensure that the killers of Lenard are brought to book.

Though the police is yet to confirm the killings of three persons in Ogbakiri community, Emohua Council and two people allegedly killed during sporadic shooting in the Ogoni area on Saturday, some party stalwarts have attested to the killings.

The statement reads: “From information gathered, the APC coordinator was shot by yet to be identified gunmen in the afternoon of Saturday March 18, 2023.

“The commissioner commiserates with the family of the bereaved and has promised to bring perpetrators of such heinous crime to justice.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the APC in the state, Emeka Bekee, who hails from Emohua, confirmed the killing of three person in Elibrada Community in Emohua Council in a telephone Interview with The Guardian yesterday.

Bekee said: “Yes, three persons were killed in Ogbakiri on Saturday, they were political thugs, who came to hijack election materials, they immediately opened fire when they saw military personnel and in the process were gunned down.” Bekee expressed surprise over police feigning ignorance of the development.

Also, the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Magnus Abe, confirmed that two persons were feared killed following a violent protest and shooting as a result of swapping of election materials meant for Ikwerre Council.

Meanwhile, some residents have condemned the high level of intimidation, harassment, bullying on of voters by some party stalwarts, agents and political thugs under the watchful eyes of police officers.

People were flogged, chased out from polling units for not voting their preferred candidates. Ballot papers, which didn’t favour a particular party were brought out and burnt by political thugs at Ward 5, Units 1 to 8 in Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt City Council of the state.

A viral video of police trucks and vans aiding party chieftains to hijack ballot boxes and forcing election officers to follow them to unknown destination has been condemned.

A resident from Obio-Akpor Council, Mr. Francis Nwake, said: “ This is the worst election I have seen so far, many people didn’t come out, some who managed to come because they are related to some of the candidates were beaten, flogged and chased out of the polling units.

“All my life, I have never seen a thing like this”

The APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, expressed disappointment on the whole process, he decried massive vote buying and intimidations.

But the state Police Command said the conduct of elections in the 42 polling units in the state was generally successful except at few polling units in Woji Town Hall and Open Space beside Holy Family Catholic Church, where the process was threatened by suspected political thugs during the counting of votes. The state police spokesperson urged the public to shun violence.