Armed Thugs Besiege Rivers State House of Assembly

The Hallow Chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly was on Monday 6th May, besieged by armed thugs who according to the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, was carried out under the command of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.

Issuing a press statement, the Speaker said,

“We have severally alerted the state and the world of the commencement of the planned gradual collapse of security and democratic structures of our state and called for the transfer of the Commissioner of Police Mr  Mbu Joseph Mbu.

On May 6, 2013 our democracy suffered a serious setback. Despite our earlier warning the Rivers State House of Assembly complex which is directly adjacent the Police headquarters, Moscow Road witnessed a violent and disruptive takeover by over 300 thugs under the watchful eyes of Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, who shut the gates of the police headquarters and made it impossible for a formal report to be lodged, while police operatives working at the assembly complex were ordered to stay away, while the siege lasted.

In recent past, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu had ordered 250 policemen, accompanied by two armored personnel carriers to storm Isale Oyo area of Oyo state and SEALED the palace of the ASHIPA of Oyo without any court orders, embarrassing and infuriating the Inspector General Of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar . Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu was hurriedly transferred to Rivers State - a man with a track record of invading and desecrating constituted authorities,” he said.

The speaker also said that he was afraid for the survival of the democratic structures and the freedom to carry out legislative duties that they owe to the state.

He added that the security of lives and properties of the people of Rivers State are no longer secured.

He condemned the act as, “…the pettiness of centripetal forces in Governance as foisted on Rivers people by our power besotted politicians based in Abuja. There can be no denials anymore of the part of Centre in the unfolding drama.”

The Speaker however assured the people of the state that they have called on other security arms “to join in the strangulation of our nascent democracy in days to come.”

Meanwhile, the state government has called on the residents of the state to remain calm in the seeming political crisis rocking the state.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Information and Communications, Ibim Semenitari, she said that Rivers people should be focused and law abiding on the assurance that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is still in full control of the State, and remains the Governor of the State.

She described the current happenings in the State as “purely political caused by a few persons who are too sorry that the Governor has refused to share the common wealth of Rivers people with them, who also wants to be Governor because they believe that it must remain in Ikwerre land.”

The statement also said that some politicians had been going around Khana, Emohua and Etche local Government Areas to mobilise crowd to protest the removal of Obio/Akpor Local Government Chairman and to demonstrate at the State House of Assembly complex for the Governors impeachment thereby causing mayhem in the State.

She however assured the people that the state government and the state police would ensure peace and stability and in protecting lives and properties of the state.

She also said that those who tend to cause problem in the State are doing so for selfish reasons and are not interested in the peace, progress and prosperity of the State.