Rivers indicts police for death of two in attack on court complex

APC decries killings, flays Wike over 2019 postulation

The Rivers State government has indicted the police authorities for Monday’s attack on the state judiciary where two security personnel were feared dead, saying there was virtually no presence of policemen within the court complex when the incident occurred.

The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma, while describing the perpetrators as enemies of the state, noted that their intention was to “perpetuate crimes that would lead to the closure of the courts as they did in 2013.”

Briefing reporters yesterday in Port Harcourt, Aguma described the killing within the state judiciary complex on Monday morning as gory, callous and wicked.

The Attorney General pointed out that the killers succeeded because “there was no police security at the complex.”

He alleged that the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, withdrew policemen from the court premises after allegedly failing in his bid to withdraw criminal/murder charges against the former chairman of Asari-Toru Local Council of the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amaachree, vowing that any attempts to “sweep the matter under the carpet would be resisted by the state Ministry of Justice.”

Aguma further alleged at some counsel and workers in his ministry have been receiving threat messages since the purported failed attempt by the IGP to withdraw the case, maintaining that the state would pursue the case to its logical conclusion.

He added that they were not afraid and would not be intimidated by any higher authority.

According Aguma, “ there was an attempt by the IGP to withdraw the charges against Flag-Amachree regardless of the damming evidences. We are not afraid, we shall not be intimidated, no body in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice will be intimidated whether the person that signed the Director of Prosecution advice or the counsel who have been receiving threat messages,” he added.

Also yesterday, the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) decried the murder of security personnel and scores of other innocent Nigerians by unknown gunmen in oil-rich state.

Reacting to what it termed the idle 2019 postulations of the Governor Nyesom Wike, the party enjoined security agencies and Nigerians not to be hoodwinked by the latest ploy to deflect attention from the continued and increased spate of mass killings and violence being perpetuated in the state.

APC, in a statement by its National Secretary, Malam Mai Mala Buni, stated that rather than joining issues with the governor’s “idle 2019 postulations,” the President Muhammadu Buhari administration would rather concentrate on ongoing efforts to deliver all-inclusive development in the country.