Is Buhari Planning Emergency Rule in Rivers?

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Is Buhari Planning Emergency Rule in Rivers?

By Correspondent

One particular question that has remained in the mouths of Nigerians is whether President Muhammadu Buhari has the intention of imposing emergency rule in Rivers State. The reason why this question is arising, is as a result of the fact that there have been calls by political stakeholders that such an action should be taken by the presidency apparently to check the current spate of attacks on top national and state leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, with journalists not being spared. To go straight to the point, suspected thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were said to have heavily attacked both national and Rivers State leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, in a town in the state. However, the massive presence of security operatives compelled the suspected thugs to run away. According to information at the disposal of NewsBreakers, the attack was said to have come between Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers state and Big Elele, on the way to the Port Harcourt International Airport Road. Specifically, the National leaders of the APC, led by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni, who represented the National Chairman of the ruling party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and state leaders led by the deputy governorship candidate during the April 11 last year’s election, Asita Honourable, were in Omoku to sympathise with the victims of the politically-motivated killings and beheadings, and of whom majority of them are members of the APC. Those in the company of Chief Oni from Abuja are the National Women Leader, Ramatu Tijani and National Youth Leader, Ibrahim Jalo, among others. While the meeting was ongoing at the APC’s local government secretariat in Omoku, the APC leaders were said to have gotten information that suspected PDP thugs had laid ambush on the route they took to Omoku, to attack them, and that they should consider taking another route to Port Harcourt. NewsBreakers learnt that Chief Oni insisted that the return journey must be through the same route (Big Elele to Port Harcourt International Airport), and security was beefed up immediately. It was also gathered that instead of speeding during the return journey, the convoy drivers opted for slow movement, with many fully-armed and battle-ready soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and riot policemen on hand to protect the convoy However, the suspected thugs remained in the bush from where they were shooting sporadically. They could not move to the busy highway and instead ran into the bush. While speaking at Omoku, Oni said, “I am surprised that innocent people are being killed, beheaded, maimed and annihilated on a daily basis, while Wike is describing it as a cult war. The killings are politically motivated, not cult war. I feel very sad, angry and ashamed that people are being gruesomely murdered and beheaded in Rivers State. “This is the height of barbarism, wickedness, criminality, debasement and bestiality. I never thought Nigeria would degenerate to this level. We must not allow the killings to go on. We will speak for you (relatives of the victims) and we will not abandon you. A public inquiry must be put in place.” Meanwhile, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Ambrose Aisabo, charged the president to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State, sequel to the endless case of politically-motivated violence in the state. He even added that numerous weapons found their way into the wrong hands in Rivers, leading to the spate of killings in the state recently. The retired AIG called on the FG to take drastic action on the matter, just as he condemned the criminal militarisation of the state.He added that “There are vested interests fighting for control of the state, coupled with the fact that it is an oil producing state. “The federal government will need to take a look at the situation in Rivers State before it snowballs into something. My recommendation is that the federal government should declare a state of emergency in Rivers State. That will curb the spate of violence in the state.” On his part, the immediate past chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu noted that violence became a trade in Rivers, especially during electioneering. According to him, “In a place like Rivers, violence pays. Now, violence is an occupation, it is a business. People sell it to different people, they sell it to the oil company, they sell it to politicians, and they sell it to everybody. During political season, you sell it to politicians across the party’s spectrum.” Even, the Ondo State chapter of the APC, while also calling for an emergency declaration in Rivers State, noted that the rate at which innocent people are being killed and burnt alive in the name of politics in Rivers State is saddening and barbaric. The Ondo State APC through its spokesperson, Abayomi Adesanya in a statement maintained that the call became imperative so as to stop the breakdown of law and order sequel to the extrajudicial killings of innocent citizens in Rivers State. He added that, “To prevent things from escalating and degenerating into a banana republic where anything goes, we passionately called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the constitutional powers vested in him as President and Grand Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State for normalcy to return. “As it stands now in Rivers State, it is obvious that the governor, Nyesom Wike, has lost control of the State. As the Chief Security Officer, his primary mandate is to secure the lives and properties of the people and government in the State. He has failed in his responsibility.”

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