State of emergency stalks Rivers as political thugs attack councils

• Five feared dead, many sustain gunshot injuries
• Tinubu orders Fubara, others to de-escalate tension
• IGP directs unsealing of council secretariats
• Fubara inaugurates Election Petition Tribunal
• Saboteurs behind coordinated arson, says HURIWA

Armed political thugs attacked several local council secretariats in Rivers State yesterday, prompting concerns that the Federal Government could impose a state of emergency if the situation is not addressed as soon as possible.

Five people were feared dead, and properties worth several billion naira were destroyed during attacks on six council secretariats after the police had vacated the premises.

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara said the coordinated attacks may not be over, alleging that other councils have also been targeted for destruction.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Fubara acknowledged that the state crisis stemmed from a power struggle and that individuals were being mobilised to incite violence.

He stressed the importance of citizen engagement in governance rather than resorting to the destruction of government property that serves the public interest.

Fubara questioned the rationale behind damaging government facilities constructed using local council resources, underscoring that these facilities were established under the leadership of the previous chairmen.

He expressed apprehension regarding the targeting of numerous local councils for destruction and called for safeguarding the state’s resources.

Suspected political thugs invaded several secretariats, including Eleme, Ahoada East, Obio-Akpor, Emohua, Khana, and Ikwere, protesting the recently conducted local council elections in the state.

These individuals insisted the election winners, who Governor Fubara swore in, would not be allowed access to the secretariats, claiming the polls were illegal.

It was reported that the hoodlums fired shots within the council buildings, resulting in the deaths of at least five individuals.

However, President Bola Tinubu called on Governor Fubara, political leaders, and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.

His intervention followed reports of arson and explosions in response to tensions after last Saturday’s council polls.

Tinubu urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation and discourage their supporters from engaging in violence or destructive actions. He also directed the police to restore and maintain law and order immediately and stressed the need to ensure the security of public institutions.

The President noted that the judiciary could settle all political disputes, including the outcome of the election.

In Khana Local Council, Benson Ndoonee, the Assistant Chief Security Officer of Ken-Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, was shot in front of the school’s Rector’s Lodge. The complex was used as the Khana Council’s temporary liaison office due to the earlier police barricade of all secretariats in the state.

Ndoonee, a father to one of the newly elected councillors in the area, had prepared to attend the swearing-in ceremony before the tragedy.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, who hails from the area, confirmed the incident to The Guardian.

In Ahoada East Local Council, gunmen reportedly shot one person dead. The victim was said to be the brother of the Chief of Staff to the Government House, Edison Ehie.

Additionally, three individuals were allegedly killed in Oyigbo Local Council. The victims, mainly youths in their early 20s, were gunned down during a sporadic shooting by suspected political thugs.

There were also shootings in Obio-Akpor Local Council shortly after the Chairman, Chijioke Ihunwo, inaugurated the newly elected councillors. Friends and well-wishers who came for the inauguration fled for their lives by scaling the back fence of the secretariat.

The hometown of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Council, was not left behind as protesters besieged the secretariat, using sticks and iron to destroy plastic chairs outside the complex.

This came after some protesters blocked the gates to stop the newly elected chairman, Mr Prince Isaac Umejuru, from entering the premises.

One of the protesters in Onelga said, “The Rivers State House of Assembly, under Martins Amaewhule, extended the lifespan of the former council chairmen by six months. The six months is still running, and the governor woke up and conducted a hasty election. That’s why we say we will not accept it.”

A section of the secretariat complex in Eleme Local Council was set ablaze. The council chairman, Brain Gokpa, arrived at the secretariat with his councillors only to find the complex had been engulfed in fire.

A visit to the scene later showed youths using water to put out the fire, while the council chairman and some of his supporters, including a former council chairman, Orji Ngofa, were seen sitting in front of the burnt office of the newly elected chairman discussing.

However, the chairman said the destruction of the secretariat would not affect his efforts to deliver the dividends of governance to the people.

Also, the newly constructed Ikwerre Local Council secretariat was set ablaze amid sporadic shootings in the area.

Earlier, thugs chased away the council chairman, Israel Abosi, alongside his supporters by thugs, but later, a socio-political group, the Simplified Movement, moved in and displaced the thugs.

Reports emerged of an invasion and intense gunfire in Emohua as protesters tried to take over a complex.

Meanwhile, the newly elected councillors in Etche were inaugurated by the chairman, Dr Uzodimma Nwafor. During the inauguration, the chairman assured that there would be absolute peace and significant development in the area.

THE State Police Command maintained silence despite the ongoing crises across the state.

Calls and messages sent to the spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, were not responded to when this report was filed.

The Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee, Rivers State Command, Voke Emore, said the state belongs to everyone. He stressed that burning government or private facilities and vehicles would do no good as the victims are the people. He advised the youths to shun all acts of violence regardless of their grievances and pleaded with them to give peace a chance.

Governor Fubara, while swearing in the council chairmen on Sunday, revealed plots by alleged state enemies to unleash violence on the newly sworn-in local government chairmen as they resume duties.

Fubara mentioned that his detractors were mobilising 20 people per political unit, instructed to attack the chairmen when they report to their various council secretariats to resume duties.

He advised the chairmen not to confront the situation if it happened or fight anybody, urging them to avoid violence.

The camps of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Fubara have maintained their respective stances.

The camp representing Fubara said a new era has begun in the state, and they are determined to move forward. On the other hand, Wike’s supporters argued that the local council elections were unlawful and would not be accepted.

Also, the Rivers State government officially launched the Local Government Elections Petition Tribunal to oversee the outcome of the electoral process. The inauguration, initially planned for Friday, October 4, 2024, took place at the Rivers State High Court, with Chief Judge Simeon Chibuzor Amadi presiding over the ceremony.

According to a statement by the Chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi, the tribunal was established to handle electoral disputes and grievances.

The members of the tribunal are Rosemary N. Ibanibo, Precious Dike, Emmanuel Evans-Dappa, Menenen Poromon, Grace Ikenyiri, Benedict Neenaador Kinakah, Chief Magistrate Betty Sunny-Hart (Chairman), Chief Magistrate G. S. Minanyo (Member), and Chief Magistrate Mabel Amesi (Member).

The tribunal will be chaired by Justice Opufaa Ben-Whyte, with Frank Onyiri and Justice Ibietela Madighi-Obu as members.

Amadi urged the chairman and members to “discharge their duties with the fear of God” and ensure justice for all parties.

In a related development, former Deputy National Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, appealed to President Bola Tinubu and former Governor Nyesom Wike to intervene and resolve the lingering crisis in the state.

George also warned that the escalating tensions in Rivers State could have far-reaching consequences, drawing parallels with the crisis in the defunct Western Region between 1962 and 1966, which ultimately led to the first military coup and civil war, resulting in the loss of nearly two million lives.

In an open letter yesterday, George urged Wike to allow Governor Fubara to discharge his duties without interference, emphasising that the people of Rivers State have spoken through their participation in the election.

The PDP chieftain expressed concern that the crisis in Rivers could undermine democracy and destabilise the region, given the state’s strategic importance as the gateway to the Niger Delta.

The former leader of the PDP urged the new Chief Justice of Nigeria to address conflicting court orders and ensure the judiciary’s impartiality.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) identified economic and political saboteurs as being behind the coordinated arson in Rivers.

The group’s national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned the Rivers State Police Command and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their alleged failures, inaction, or passive compromise of intelligence that allowed the coordinated attacks.

HURIWA expressed disappointment with the security forces, particularly the police, whose primary responsibility is internal security, and the secret police, whose officers are mandated to gather actionable intelligence, for failing to prevent the extensive infiltration of local councils by politically motivated and armed individuals sponsored to foment a crisis in Rivers State.

HOWEVER, the police high command reiterated that it acted in accordance with the law by withdrawing policemen from participating in the Rivers State elections.

The Nigeria Police Force emphasised the importance of maintaining decorum in political affairs, saying it remains neutral and non-partisan.

Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesman of the high command, issued a statement in response to misinformation circulating in the media regarding the police’s actions in Rivers State’s political arena.

The police clarified that they were following a court judgment from the Federal High Court. Initially, the police were restrained from participating in the elections by an injunction issued on July 19, 2024. However, a later order from the Rivers State High Court on September 4, 2024, directed the Nigeria Police Force and other federal security agencies to provide security at the elections, even though the NPF was not a party in this suit.

Subsequently, on September 30, 2024, the Federal High Court nullified all previous activities related to the elections and ordered the police to stay away from providing security during the election.

He said: “All these orders and counter-orders were served on the police. The IGP, being a thoroughbred committed to operating within the legal framework, forwarded the three court orders to the Force Legal Section for advice.

“For the information of members of the public, the Force Legal Section boasts sound and experienced lawyers who have distinguished themselves in the legal profession, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

“Based on the legal advice received from the Force Legal Office, the IGP ordered the Rivers State Police Command to abide by the ruling of the Federal High Court and also communicated this to the Governor of Rivers State via a letter with reference number CH:3514/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.38/260 dated October 2, 2024, where the IGP advised the governor also to abide by the court ruling in the interest of peace and well-being of the people of Rivers State.

“The misinformation, triggered by the unwarranted outburst of the Governor of Rivers State, based on no material fact, was totally uncalled for and unfair to law enforcement institutions in Nigeria, most especially his verbal attack on the person and office of the Inspector-General of Police.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the general public is free to profile the career journey of the Inspector-General of Police and his track record in every place he has served, which undoubtedly show him as a man of honour, integrity and focus before and after his assumption of office as the 22nd indigenous Inspector-General of Police of Nigeria.

“The IGP is very well respected in the Association of Chiefs of Police worldwide, particularly in Africa, where he is currently serving as the Chairman of the West African Police Chiefs Committee (WAPCCO) and providing meritorious leadership within the West African Chiefs of Police.”

The statement noted: “We have seen Chiefs of Police from across the world come to attend his events in Nigeria and extend several invitations to him. For the first time, the President of Interpol was at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Police conference and retreat in Owerri last year under this IGP. Let us please observe some decorum in our politics in Nigeria.

“It is also instructive to note that the NPF does not intend to engage in any form of media tussle or war with the Governor of Rivers State, his administration or his political affiliations but will continue to play its role as a neutral body in all forms of political activity, undistracted. Similarly, it suffices to say that the local government elections were generally peaceful nationwide, especially in states where the police were in charge of security.

“In the same vein, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, directed the immediate unsealing of all local government council secretariats in Rivers State, which were previously sealed when violence erupted in the state over who controlled the local government secretariats between elected chairmen whose tenure had expired and a caretaker committee inaugurated by the state government, which matter was pending in court.”

The statement added: “The unsealing yesterday, October 6, 2024, followed the police receiving the report that the elected chairmen had been sworn in by the state government. The decision to unseal the secretariats was informed by the need to maintain neutrality in the political developments in the state and to allow the smooth functioning of democratic institutions in the state.

“The IGP, however, condemns the spate of violent confrontations and attacks at some local government secretariats, leading to the destruction of government facilities in the state immediately after the unsealing of the secretariats. He has promptly tasked the State Commissioner of Police to rise to the occasion and restore law and order in the state.

“The IGP emphasises the Force’s commitment to maintaining law and order, upholding democratic principles and fostering peace, unity and progress across the nation.”