Rivers State, on Monday morning, witnessed widespread violence, involving shootings, arson, and protests by suspected political thugs in attempts to prevent the newly-elected local governments’ chairmen from taking over the council secretariats.
About five persons were feared killed following gunfire at four local government council secretariats. Four of the LG secretariats were also set ablaze.
Also, some of the just-inaugurated council chairmen were chased out of their offices by the hoodlums.
The violence started a few hours after the Rivers State Police Command announced its withdrawal from the secretariats that it had sealed up since early July on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
However, President Bola Tinubu has directed the police to provide security to the council officials and restore and maintain peace, law, and order immediately.
The president also instructed law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control, emphasizing the need to ensure the security of public institutions.
Some of the local government secretariat that were torched included Eleme, sections of which were reportedly discovered in flames by the chairman, Brain Gokpa when he arrived at the place with his supporters to assume office.
Ikwerre local government area was also torched by the protesters who set ablaze the recently constructed administrative block, one of the celebrated achievements of Samuel Nwanosike, the former elected chairman.
Gunmen reportedly chased the new chairman and his supporters out of the secretariat before setting the place on fire.
Same for Emohua local government, which was also reportedly set ablaze by the same set of hoodlums later in the day. Some youths were reported to have blocked the entrance of the secretariat, chanting songs in solidarity with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, and insisting that the new chairman, David Omereji, would not be allowed to take office.
Violence also erupted in Obio/Akpor LGA, where bottles were thrown during a confrontation, although the police successfully contained the situation.
Shootings were reported in Khana Local Government Area, as one person was feared killed during sporadic gunfire on the road leading to the Rector’s Lodge.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Peoples Party (APP) reportedly clashed in a protest at Khana council secretariat following the withdrawal of the police from the area.
The continued shootings in some of the LG secretariats caused fear and panic in the communities they are located.
It was gathered that when the new LG chairmen, who were sworn in on Sunday, arrived at the council secretariats, they met many youths opposed to their election at the LGA headquarters.
Sources said some youths stationed at the council secretariats claimed they were there to clean up the premises for the former council chairmen whose tenure had elapsed.
It was also gathered that shooting started in the process and many people sustained bullet wounds, while about five reportedly died.
An eyewitness said one person was gunned down at Khana LGA, three at Oyibo LGA, while one was reportedly killed at Ahoada-East LGA.
As the attacks continued, four council secretariats, including Eleme, Emohua, Ikwerre, and Etche, were set ablaze.
It was gathered that thugs stormed the Eleme council secretariat at about 11 a.m., and set parts of it on fire, insisting the newly sworn-in chairman would not access the office.
Sources said the thugs also set ablaze the Ikwerre council secretariat at Isiokpo, claiming that last Saturday’s LGA election in the state was illegal.
At Emohua LGA, some youths were said to have attacked the secretariat immediately the new chairman, David Omereji, swore in his deputy, Patient Ebere, and 14 councillors.
The thugs were said to have allegedly thrown several explosives, believed to be dynamite into the building, which reportedly shattered many properties in the premises.
In Ahoada East Council Secretariat, the Army was said to have taken over the area as one person, suspected to be the brother of the Chief of Staff, Government House was shot dead and others injured by bullets.
Initial attempts by the thugs to block access to the secretariat were dislodged after a shooting incident, leaving three people injured with bullet wounds.
Also, a video emerged of shootings in Oyigbo local government area showing about three victims lying either dead or wounded, though it was reported that the chairman, Dr Gift Okere, has taken control of the council secretariat, with administrative activities commencing immediately following the swearing-in of the vice chairman and 10 elected councilors.
Meanwhile, no arrests have been made and the police are yet to release any statement on the situation, raising fear of a potential escalation of violence across the local councils in the state.
Although the Police in the state are yet to issue any statement on the attacks by the thugs, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi said it would not engage in a media tussle with Governor Fubara over the political crisis in the state.
Earlier, the Rivers police command, in a statement, announced its decision to unseal the secretariats based on directives from the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
Newly deployed Commissioner of Police, Bala Mustapha, relayed the IGP’s order to withdraw police personnel stationed at the secretariats to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic processes.
The police emphasized they would only return if a security threat emerged, urging residents to remain calm, and assuring them of maintaining peace.
In his immediate reaction to the crisis yesterday, President Bola Tinubu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said government facilities built with public funds must be safeguarded from vandalism.
The president stressed that self-help has no place in a democratic system, especially after 25 years of continuous democracy.
According to him, the judiciary can settle all political disputes and the outcome of the Rivers election should be no exception.
The statement read: ‘’The President called on Governor Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.
“In response to recent tensions, following last Saturday’s LG elections, the President expressed deep concern over reports of arson and explosions in the state.
“He urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation and discourage their supporters from engaging in violence or destructive actions.”
Also reacting to the violence yesterday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara admonished Rivers people to carry out their political business with all sense of responsibility.
He also stated that the business of politics should not degenerate to the level of killings and destruction of government facilities built with taxpayers’ money.
Fubara spoke when he visited Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat, Isiokpo, to see the extent of damage, after the council office was set ablaze by political thugs, shortly on arrival from Akwa Ibom State where he joined South-South governors and members of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, to sympathize with his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Umo Eno, over the death of his wife, Patience.
He expressed sadness over the incident at the council, questioning the rationale behind the destruction of the secretariat.
He said, “I am just coming in from Akwa Ibom where the governors of the South-South and also the Nigerian Governors’ Forum went to pay condolence to our brother, the governor of Akwa Ibom, who lost his wife.
“So, I said it would be proper to come and see for myself the incident that took place in Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat.
“I feel very sad seeing what has just happened in this council. I want to say this to the entire Rivers State: If you are called upon, play your politics with a sense of responsibility. We don’t need to kill ourselves. My time will come, and I will leave; do I need to burn the Government House?
“This council secretariat was built by the immediate past chairman, and for me, we know the history of this council, how he sought funds, and how it was executed. This is supposed to be a legacy project for him that whoever is going to come after now will continue to remember that at a certain time, certain persons built this for the LGA. But, look at what we are seeing here today. Must we go low in politics?”
Governor Fubara expressed dismay that funds that would have been deployed to develop the councils would now be used to rehabilitate the councils to the detriment of the people, advising Rivers people to always act responsibly in all they did, irrespective of the level of provocation.
“There was an election on Saturday, the new council chairmen were inaugurated yesterday (Sunday). We are aware of the boast that they would not be allowed to access the secretariats. And we were happy in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) when the Inspector-General of Police directed his men to vacate the premises for easy access for the newly-elected officers to resume office. Immediately, they took advantage of that space to destroy government facilities.
“Who is the loser? The new council chairmen that are coming in, the funds that would be applied to other things would now be used to fix this place. Are we not acting as irresponsible people? ‘’This is an act of irresponsibility! Even if one advises you to go and destroy a government facility, are you not supposed to think twice?
“We all know where this is coming from, that is the truth. Everybody knows that this is not from my supporters. But, I leave all to the security agencies to do a thorough work, and let us know the people that are behind this assault on the institutions of democracy.’’
Also in an interview with Channels Television last night, Fubara asked his predecessor, Nyesom Wike to let go of his quest to control the state’s political affairs, adding that there was no need to burn down the state.
He said: “I will tell him (Wike) that there is going to be a point that he needs to let go. We need peace in this state. You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights at all times. You just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers State and the love he (Wike) has always professed for the state. We don’t need to burn down the state. Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who is going to come next?”
