Wike orders clampdown on cultists, criminals, backers

PERTURBED by incessant gruesome murders in some communities, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has directed security agencies to clampdown on cult activities and violent crimes as well as their accomplices in four local councils of the state.

The affected councils include Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni, ONELGA, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West.

The governor has also suspended the caretaker committee chairmen of Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West for failing to mobilise stakeholders for a key security town hall meeting in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local council.

Addressing the parley yesterday, Wike, who was accompanied by security service commanders and the Commissioner for Police, said the meeting was aimed at restoring peace to the affected councils.

He noted that the insecurity in the councils had nothing to do with politics, pointing out that it was a move to stem the tide of cult-related killings in ONELGA, kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes in the other three councils.

The governor said henceforth, security agencies had been mandated to take appropriate actions against those who shield cultists, kidnappers and armed robbers in the four local councils.

According to him, nobody would be allowed to halt the development programmes of the state government on account of insecurity. He, therefore, charged traditional, political and religious leaders to work with government and security agencies to identify criminals for the purposes of restoring peace.

“Nobody is happy. I am not happy. The service commanders are not happy. These cultists and criminals are not from Lagos, Kaduna or Ebonyi. They are indigenes of these communities and the people know them. Therefore, everyone must cooperate with the security agencies to resolve these security challenges.”

The governor stressed that the operation of commercial motorcyclists (popularly called Okada) in the four local government areas remains banned between 5pm and 8am daily.

“We must put an end to the ugly situation in these four local government areas. Enough is enough. We cannot allow these criminals to kill innocent people, “ Wike warned.