Condemnation as Police Brutality in Rivers Reportedly Leaves Five Children Dead

At least five children were believed to have been suffocated to death in their parents’s homes in Obio Akpor local government area of Rivers today where an increasingly brutal police led by the state Commissioner of Police, Mba Joseph Mba fired teargas and bullets indiscriminately to disperse a rally in the area. The senator representing Rivers South in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe and Chief of Staff to the state governor, Chief Tony Okocha were among senior government officials shot by the police and now receiving treatment in hospitals.

Meanwhile, leading opposition leaders have condemned the police action in Rivers earlier today. Opening the floodgate of condemnations is the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently put an end to the worsening reign of impunity in Rivers State, which is being carried out under his watch by those who are obviously acting to impress him and the First Lady.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the call has become even more imperative, following the irresponsible act of brigandage by the police, which stopped a peaceful and lawful rally billed for the Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the state today by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM), an organization campaigning against the impunity of the PDP-controlled Federal Government against the government and people of Rivers State.

”The police went to the venue of the rally, pulled down the erected canopies and fired tear gas at everyone around there and even into nearby homes, with the result that five children are now feared to have died from suffocation due to this shameful Gestapo-style action of the police, who are being funded by taxpayers to protect the lives and property of the same citizens they are now brutalizing and killing.

”Not only that, they injured the Chief of Staff to Gov. Chibuike Amaechi and fired a supposed rubber bullet, at point blank  range, at Senator Magnus Abe, who is now gravely injured. The Senator is believed to have been deliberately targeted for attack by the police.

”We understand that the exceptional brutal clampdown on the planned rally by the police, who seem to have now surpassed even their own act of brutality against the people of the state, was aimed at impressing the First Lady, believed to be due in Port Harcourt on the same day (Sunday),” it said.

The APC said there is no way a Commissioner of Police in any state will be so bold as to be waging a war against an elected Governor and his aides/supporters if he is not empowered to do so by higher authorities, and that everyone knows that the impenitent Rivers Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu believes he is now the de facto Governor of Rivers because he has the support of the Presidency to exhibit impudence.

”Mbu, who is going down in Nigeria’s history as a classic example of an officer of the law turned the biggest violator of the law, has not only defied the resolutions of the National Assembly, he has also thumbed his nose at the ultimatum issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). He is the Alternate Inspector General of the Police who takes orders only from a conniving presidency,” the party said.

It said the only reason the impunity in Rivers could have continued unabated is because it is a dress rehearsal for what is being planned for 2015, hence the APC has continued to raise the alarm over the instigated crisis in Rivers.

”Since this reign of impunity started, the Rivers Governor has been barred from accessing his official residence by the police; Members of the State House of Assembly have been tear-gassed and harassed endlessly; the plane owned by the state government has been grounded, using the institutions of state; and even a chartered plane bearing the Governor has been prevented from takeoff, not minding that the member of the state House of Assembly which the plane was supposed to be carrying was not on board. No one has apologized for this chutzpah.

”This is all happening under the watch of a President who has been widely quoted as saying his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. The statement now rings hollow, considering what is happening in Rivers and elsewhere, which is widely regarded as a sign of things to come ahead of 2015.

”President Jonathan should act today to bring Rivers State and indeed Nigeria back from the brink of lawlessness. His body language must discourage the likes of Mbu from turning Nigerian into a lawless nation. He must differentiate his position as the leader of the PDP from his perch as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” APC  said

Following that, the Rivers State Chapter of the APC said it “is shocked and shattered by the news of the unwarranted shooting this morning, of Senator Magnus Abe, the Senator representing Rivers South East zone and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), and Chief Tony Okocha, the Chief of Staff to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the killing of five children of Rivers State extraction by men of the Nigeria Police.”

A statement by the state chapter of the party said “the Interim State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, did not at first believe the news until he verified it because he, like any other right-thinking individual, could not understand why policemen paid with taxpayers’ money could turn their guns against the people, including prominent citizens who are well known to them – thus ruling out the possibility of a mistake in the said shooting.

”We wish to unequivocally condemn this premeditated murder of our five children and attempted murder of two prominent and innocent Rivers citizens by the State Police Command, which seems happy to transform into an army of occupation instead of discharging its constitutional role of safeguarding lives and property. This is a declaration of war on Rivers State and its people.

“We are holding the State Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Mbu, responsible for the deaths of five innocent kids that maybe our future political leaders by this agents of darkness and the attempted murder on Senator Abe and Chief Okocha since the shooting was carried out by a team of regular police and Mobile policemen from MOPOL 19 on the orders of CP Mbu. Acting on CP Mbu’s orders, the trigger-happy policemen had stormed the APC rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, and started shooting rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the crowd. One of the rubber bullets hit Senator Abe, who fell to the ground and would have died instantly if his aides had not quickly grabbed him and rushed him to a hospital in D/Line in Port Harcourt. It is reported that the case of the Senator is very critical and arrangement is being made by Governor Amaechi to fly him out for medical attention if he recovers from coma. Chief Okocha’s case is a bit better as he was only shot on his legs and may be crippled for life if urgent attention is not given to him.

”The police ordered everybody to vacate the venue. Several persons were injured as they scampered for safety. The police insisted that the rally must not hold, claiming that it would constitute a breach of the peace – a very spurious claim. And we are talking of a rally aimed at mobilising the public on the agenda of a political Movement, of which the police was duly informed!

“We have shouted ourselves hoarse that CP Mbu is on a mission to cause mayhem and insecurity in Rivers State but, sadly, the powers that brought him to Rivers State for this mission not only continued to sustain him but also continued to empower him in his acts of impunity in Rivers State. This single man has on various occasions abused, insulted and vilified our elected State Governor in the person of Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, claiming that he (Mbu) is the Chief Security Officer of Rivers State and not the Governor as stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic!

“This single man has on various occasions given police cover to GDI, the political pressure group of President Goodluck Jonathan and Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, while denying the same services to other political groups in Rivers State, including Save Rivers State Movement while we sustain the Police with Rivers State fund. This single man since he came to Rivers State has promoted criminality in various ways and has even made himself a member of PDP, attending their meetings!

“The National Assembly has found this man guilty and asked for his redeployment to no avail! The Rivers State Government and various pressure groups have called for his redeployment to no avail, all because the Federal Government is bent on using him to cause a war in Rivers State!

“In view of the foregoing, we wish to make it clear that the blood of the five innocent kids that were slaughtered by the Police are on CP Mbu’s head and also on the heads of his sponsors. We meanwhile appeal to Nigerians to join us in praying for the survival of Senator Abe and Chief Okocha. By God’s grace, we shall overcome as the plot of intimidation will not deter us from salvaging Rivers State from the PDP led Federal Government whose hatred and disdain on our people are now legendary.

“Finally, Dr Ikanya demands for the immediate release of Hon. Ike Chinwo within 24 hours unfailingly. Hon Chinwo who was once a member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Obio-Akpor Federal Constituency was arrested by the Police after the mayhem for no just cause.”

In his own reaction, the Senator representing Kwara Central Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bukola Saraki condemned the  attack on Senator Magnus Abe who was reportedly hit by a bullet being shot by officers of the Rivers State police command.

According to Senator Saraki, the incident which had been confirmed by the Personal Assistant to the Senator, Hon. Siranwo, occurred when Senator Abe led members of the Save Rivers Movement to a venue where they were to hold an inauguration and thanksgiving programme for the Obio-Akpor Chapter of the group.

Senator Saraki said the shooting is not only barbaric and disheartening but incomprehensible to note that security personnel whose sole responsibility is to protect life and properties of the citizenry, have now reneged on their constitutional and primary responsibility. The former governor of Kwara State further said that from the report received on the incident, it is logical to conclude that the attack on the Rivers Senator was politically motivated and or premeditated and eventually  executed by the detailed police officer.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment said that, what has happened could be likened to the dark days in the country’s political evolution and cautioned political gladiators not to plunge the Nation into another political  war theatre as such attempt will be resisted by the people.

While condemning the attack, the pertinent question, Saraki asked was, when did it become an offence to hold a peaceful political rally or gatherings even when the Police authorities were duly informed of same ? ?He said this incident is one of many which the Federal government have failed, refused and or neglected to take a decisive and concrete action to deal with and as such, it encourages criminal impunity  in our society. With 2015 election activities around the corner, he challenge the government through its security apparatus to ensure that Nigerians could freely move, operate and live their normal life without being coerce or intimidated.

?Senator Saraki thereby  call on the Federal government, particularly the  Nigerian Police authorities  to immediately investigate, bring the culprit to book and  put an end to these grotesquely out-scale police excesses to peaceful rallies and political gathering especially in circumstances that lacks any immediate threat to life and safety. 

Saraki finally reiterated that despite all attempts to silence, harass and politically intimidate those that believe in the sustainance of our nascent democracy, the progressives remained resolute and undaunted even in the face of political threat,  in their believe that Nigeria is bigger than an individual and that freedom of association, freedom of movement and the protection  of life of the citizenry must be assured at all cost. Anything short of this, is not acceptable. 

The former governor  further charged all lovers of Democracy, the progressives and his colleagues in the National Assembly to rise to the occasion and speak against this dastardly act and ensure it is not treated with kids glove. Saraki reminded Distinguished Senators that as representatives of the people, “we owe this country a responsibility and a duty  as we  resumes our legislative duties in the next few days.”

Speaking in the same vein, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Dakuku Peterside, has said the police in Rivers State has taken impunity to new heights and that all men of goodwill must rise up to defend constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of association  and freedom of movement.

Peterside condemned in totality the dispersing of an All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State earlier today.

He said the shooting of innocent citizens as well as use of tear gas on APC members who gathered for legitimate party activities was bad.  The Committee Chairman further said Police in Rivers State is now the law of the land and thus shows no regard for the law and rights of citizens .

He said: ” Mbu has lost every sense of civility and decency and it is now obvious he has learnt nothing from history . Commissioner of Police Mbu has shown by his action that the PDP controlled federal government has zero tolerance for opposition and liberty of Nigerians to make their own choices. Impunity is an integral part of governance for PDP and those at the apex of governance in the nation sees nothing wrong with it as it serves their narrow political interest.”

The legislator called on all lovers of freedom and democracy to rise up and defend democracy as rivers state is only a testing ground for those who want democracy destroyed at all cost .

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