Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described the
allegation that he ordered the Nigerian Army to kill Igbo people in the Oyigbo
Local Government Area of the state as a politically motivated falsehood.
Wike, in a television programme on Monday in Port Harcourt,
said a curfew was imposed on Oyigbo to restore calm after members of proscribed
Indigenous Peoples Organisation of Biafra killed six soldiers, four policemen
and destroyed all police stations and court buildings there.
He said the narrative that the Igbo were being killed by the
military was intended to “shift attention from the despicable activities of
IPOB in Oyigbo”, which is a boundary area adjoining Abia State.
“I know that this is not the first time IPOB has used Oyigbo
as launching ground. The security agencies are aware. IPOB added a new
dimension this time.
“They killed six Army Officers and burnt one. They killed
four police officers. They destroyed all the police stations and court
buildings. What offence did we commit as a state?
“I imposed curfew to restore calm. I proscribed IPOB
activities anywhere in the state. Don’t forget that the Federal Government had
declared them a terrorist group. It is not the entire Igbo that believes in
IPOB activities.
“So, it’s not true that I ordered the military to kill Igbo
in Oyigbo. When did I become a friend to the military? So, what about the Igbo
living elsewhere in the state? Are they also being killed?”
He further said, “I have no relationship with the Army or
the Police; I do not command them. They change Commissioner of Police every
time. How would I begin to direct the Army that I do not give instruction?”
Wike lamented IPOB’s effrontery to rename a local government
in the state and hoist its flag in a public school in Komkom Town.
“I will not fold my arms and watch criminals destroy my
state; if those few criminals are Igbo then they should know that I will not
allow them.
“They made an attempt to rename a local government in my
state. That alone is a signal. I will not agree to that; I know who is doing
all these; who has told them to rise, protest against Wike.”
The governor added that the state government had no regret against its stance on IPOB, which he said, had already been designated as a terrorist organisation by the Federal Government.
According to him, even the South-East Governors have never
supported IPOB and wondered why a Governor from the Niger Delta should tolerate
the group.
He revealed that security agencies, during their search of some
residents in Oyigbo, saw shrines with IPOB flags and Nnamdi Kanu’s photographs.
Wike maintained that if IPOB was allowed to operate from
Oyigbo, they would soon overrun the state.
The governor said the government had commenced moves to
replace all the property destroyed by the group during the protest, regretting
that the damage had left huge financial burden on the state.
He added that the state had decided to compensate each
family of the killed security personnel with N20m to cater to the welfare of
the bereaved widows and their children.
He further said that the #EndSARS protests and its aftermath
would have been averted if the Federal Government had not dismissed the alarm
he earlier raised on the activities of SARS to mere politics.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com