Two local government chairmen loyal to Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi have been arrested and detained by the police in connection with Sunday’s violence in Bori, Khana Local Government Area.
Hoodlums prevented the rally planned by the pro-Amaechi group Save Rivers Movement (SRM) from holding.
They attacked government officials, who came early to the venue, smashing their vehicles. Many people, including journalists, were injured.
Detained are Chairman of Khana Local Government Council Greg Nwidam and Gokana Council boss Demua Ledee Demua (both Ogoni councils).
Nwidam’s Press Secretary, Patrick Nwika, in a telephone interview, confirmed that his boss, who he described as non-violent and a complete gentleman, and Demua were being detained by the police.
Nwika said the two council chairmen were invited by the police on Monday and as law-abiding citizens, they honoured the invitation, only to be asked to wait for many hours, later asked to write statements and subsequently detained.
Gun-wielding militants invaded the All Saints’ Anglican Church, Bori, not far from the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori-Ogoni, the traditional headquarters of Ogoni, and upturned the canopies, tables, chairs and the podium.
Senator Magnus Abe, who is from Bera-Ogoni in Gokana council, was shot with rubber bullets by the police on January 12 at the disrupted SRM rally at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt. He is recuperating in a London hospital.
The arrested Ogoni men, staging a protest over the shooting of Abe, a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), were arraigned at the Magistrate’s Court, Port Harcourt on Monday, but granted bail.
The accused persons are: Barinaaghaalo Kugbor (26), God-Gift Brienalor (24), Stephen Nuata (24), Akpobari Aminikpo (29), Sunday Dugbor (20), Dubor Kpeghasi (30), Promise Kagbor (29),Baribor Nnade (25), Kiesira Nteegha (22), Lucky Pourii (25) and Baridor Kukue (27).
Ten of them are facing a three-court charge of conspiracy, unlawful gathering and possession of dangerous weapons. The eleventh suspect (Aminikpo) is facing a four-count charge, including illegal possession of a walkie-talkie.
Abe condemned Sunday’s attack, lamenting that rather than implement the recommendations contained in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on Ogoni, the Federal Government chose to arm youths with guns, worth millions of naira, to kill fellow human beings.
The Chairman of the SRM, Charles Aholu, yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the arrest and detention of Nwidam and Demua, as well as the 11 protesting youths, as the height of intimidation and lawlessness.
Aholu insisted that the Mbu Joseph Mbu-led Rivers Police Command was informed about the SRM rallies in Rumuola, Port Harcourt (January 12) and Bori (January 19), for police protection through letters which were acknowledged by a police officer. He was shocked that the rallies were disrupted by the police and militants.
The SRM chairman also called for the unconditional release of the detained chairmen and urged President Goodluck Jonathan to give moral direction to Nigeria.
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) also warned that Ogoni should not be turned into a political battleground.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) declared that the police’s double standard could plunge the state into unmitigated chaos.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers chapter, through its spokesman, Pastor Jerry Needam, alleged that Amaechi was pushing Ogoni people to war, by declaring that the botched Bori rally would be repeated on Saturday.
Rivers police spokesman Ahmad Muhammad said the command would soon release the detained council chairmen, arrested policemen and other persons, whom he said were assisting the police in their investigation.
Abe, through his spokesperson, Honour Sirawoo, yesterday in Port Harcourt declared that the guns being used by the opponents of Amaechi, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), would soon be turned against their owners.
Abe expressed gratitude to friends, well-meaning individuals, groups and indeed Nigerians for their prayers, phone calls, solidarity messages and support.
The ex-Rivers SSG (Abe) said: “Every gun has a lifespan of over a hundred years. Our politics may change. As today’s friends become opponents tomorrow, the guns will also change hands, but they will still remain lethal, even against their present owners.
“Rather than encourage violence to gain relevance in politics, I will continue to arm my supporters, just like my children, with school fees, laptops, prayers and the fear of God. We have faced violence before and we emerged victorious.”
Abe, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), sued for forgiveness and for the people to focus on set goals, noting that the law, as impossible as it might look today, would one day take its course.
MOSOP, through its President, Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, condemned Sunday’s violence in Bori. It urged Ogoni politicians and youths to refuse the temptation of turning Ogoni into a political battle ground for political parties.
The umbrella organisation of Ogoni people said it was of the view that the disturbances in Bori were the fallout of a cocktail of political intolerance and lack of accommodation among members of political parties in Ogoni, ahead of the 2015 elections, which it described as unnecessary at this time and highly condemnable .
MOSOP said: “While people from other areas of Rivers State have been engaging in their political activities peacefully and without violence, it is humiliating that Ogoni politicians and youths have allowed themselves to be externally manipulated to turn against themselves in the most despicable way, that is making a mockery of the sacrifices of our heroes to unite us, for the purpose of developing our area.”
The APC, Rivers chapter, through Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Public Affairs, to the Interim Rivers Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said it was saddened by the repeat violence at the SRM’s rally in Bori.
APC said: “The SRM’s rally at Bori was brutally stopped by gunmen, who left some vehicles vandalised and many people injured and two innocent persons lost their lives, as reported by the PDP in Rivers State.
“For PDP to have sent out a press statement, even while the shooting was ongoing, indicated pre-information of the attack and ascertaining the number of people they killed, simply indicated that they were part of the attack.”
The PDP said: “Amaechi, in spite of security challenges in Bori-Ogoni, occasioned by the aborted APC rally of January 19, states that he will dare the police and the people, and lead a rally in Bori on Saturday, is obviously pushing the Ogoni people to war.
“Rather than threatening to go ahead to hold a rally in Bori and provoke the people to another round of crisis, Amaechi should talk and for once act like a governor, by seeking ways to bring about peace in the area and the state, before he proceeds on the rally to Bori or any other part of the state. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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