5 killed, LG hqtrs set ablaze, chairmen chased out
PORT HARCOURT — No fewer than five persons were feared dead yesterday, following gunfire at different local government council secretariats in Rivers State by thugs.
Newly sworn-in chairmen of some of the LGAs were also chased out of their offices by the marauding thugs.
This came as President Bola Tinubu directed the police to provide security to the LG officials, restore and maintain peace, law and order immediately.
The president also instructed law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control, emphasising the need to ensure the security of public institutions.
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 Siminalayi Fubara over the political crisis in the state.
The continued shootings in some of the LG secretariats caused fear and panic in the communities they are located.
At noon, yesterday, no fewer than five persons had been reportedly killed, while four of the LG secretariats were set ablaze.
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.
Vanguard learned that some of the 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 told Vanguard that one person was gunned down at Khana LGA, three at Oyibo LGA, while one was reportedly killed at Ahoada-East LGA.
4 LGA offices set on fire
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 told Vanguard that 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.
Tinubu directs Police to provide security to Rivers LG officers
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.
He stressed that self-help has no place in a democratic system, especially after 25 years of continuous democracy.
According to President Tinubu, the judiciary can settle all political disputes, and the outcome of this 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.”
Burning of council facilities, act of irresponsibility – Fubara
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 sympathise with his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Umo Eno, over the death of his wife, Pastor 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, who recalled the conduct of the just-concluded council polls, the swearing-in of council chairmen and the expected assumption of office today (yesterday), despite earlier boasts and threats not to allow the chairmen access to the various secretariats, expressed disappointment that sponsored agents and enemies of the state used the opportunity of the withdrawal of police to unleash terror on the councils.
He 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,’’ the governor said.
Fubara to Wike: You can’t win all fights
Also in an interview with Channels Television last night, Fubara asked his predecessor 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?”
The governor said the adoption of Action Peoples Party, APP, for the last election by his loyalists was not a matter of political structure but a move to meet the deadline for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on LGA autonomy.
He noted that said there was no way his candidates would have contested the election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, due to the “drama” in the party.
“After the ruling of the Supreme Court (on LGA autonomy), we (governors) had an understanding with Mr President and he gave us a window of 90 days to comply. The 90-day deadline expires on October 31. I needed to do something. There is no way that an election would have been conducted in my party, considering the drama surrounding it.
“So, I opted for something safer to secure the civil servants that are working in the LGAs to ensure we have administrative officers who would manage the affairs of the council.”
IGP withdraws personnel
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had earlier yesterday ordered the immediate unsealing of secretariats across the 23 LGAs in the state
A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said: “Given the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Mustapha, hereby conveys the directives of the IGP, Egbetokun, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the LG secretariats in the state.
“This decision is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.
“The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.”
Stakeholders condemn widespread violence, killings in Rivers
Stakeholders have sternly condemned the widespread post-election violence that erupted in most of the councils, yesterday, even as the newly sworn-in council chairmen were barred from accessing their offices to resume work.
APP chairman
Reacting to the incident, Rivers State chairman of the Action People’s Party, APP, Sunny Wokekoro, described the violence as an “unfortunate situation after a very peaceful election in the state.”
He added that though the crisis only took place in a few council secretariats, violence in any form or shape must be condemned.
Wokekoro, whose party won 22 of 23 LGAs in the October 5, elections blamed the violence on the “same people who didn’t want the election to hold, in the first place.
‘’Yes, they burnt some of the secretariats but work has since resumed. The new chairmen have taken charge and nobody can do nothing about it now.”
Pro-Fubara APC
In his reaction, the state chairman of the APC, Chief Emeka Beke, said destroying the wealth of Rivers State “by people who have been rejected is so brutal.
‘’There was no need for that. When it is not good for you, you destroy the state’s assets, what do you gain in doing that?”
Beke, whose faction of the APC won only one councillorship seat in the election, blamed the police for vacating the sealed secretariats without waiting to provide security for the new chairmen as they resumed duties, yesterday, adding that the violence was unleashed by “people who have lost grip of the state.”
Pro-Wike APC
Also, worried about the spate of post-election violence in the state, pro-Wike APC said it was a victim of election violence in the state but chose to take things with relative ease and follow the path of peace.
Reacting to the state-wide crisis that rocked some of the LGAs, yesterday, the factional state publicity secretary of APC, Chief Chibuike Ikenga, said: “My party is a victim of spontaneous attacks in the state.
Our secretariat on Aba/Port-Harcourt expressway was attacked by arsonists and zealous supporters of the state government.
“They wanted to intimidate us because we went to the Federal High Court and obtained an order to stop the election. We are disappointed by what happened. As a party, we call on the police to go after those who unleashed mayhem on the state. APC is not a violent party and we cannot associate ourselves with violence,” he said.
PCRC maintains neutrality
Chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the police community relations committee, PCRC, Comrade Voke Emore, said his group would continue to maintain neutrality in the face of the crisis rocking the state.
“I wish to further ask that we all maintain peace and avoid acts of violence. PCRC remains apolitical and will continue to promote peace and unity in our various communities. The youths are advised to shun all acts of violence no matter their grievances. We plead with all youths to give peace a chance.
“This state belongs to all of us. Acts of arson, whether in burning down government or private facilities and vehicles, would do us no good, as the victims are also our people. We must find more peaceful means of registering our grievances and settling our differences by reporting such to the appropriate authorities”, he said.
Rivers crisis may have security implications on Nigeria — Bode George
Reacting to the development yesterday, former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, warned that political happenings in Rivers State in the last few months, if allowed to continue, could lead to crisis.
Asking President Tinubu to call the former governor of the state to order, George said: “Now that the people of Rivers State have boldly asserted their civic and constitutional rights by coming out to vote in the LG elections on Saturday, this is the time for the former governor of the state to allow Governor Fubara work and deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
“This is also the time for President Tinubu to advise the former governor who is one of his ministers, to allow the governor to work.
“I say this with all sense of responsibility because if this democracy is truncated, God forbid, Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief, will be the biggest loser.
“All lovers of democracy will agree with me that political happenings in this oil-bearing state in the last few months, if allowed to continue, can lead to a re-enactment of the crisis in the defunct Western Region between 1962 and 1966, which eventually led to the first military coup of January 15, 1966.
‘’Many of our national figures were killed and events of that day led to a second coup on July 29, 1966, when scores of military officers were killed.
“Since history is no longer taught in our schools, I want to remind the gladiators in this Rivers crisis that the January and July 1966, killings eventually led to the civil war between July 6, 1967, and January 15, 1970. Close to two million Nigerians died in the war.
“I am raising this alarm because what is happening in Rivers now is a cause for serious concern for everyone.
Clark hails Tinubu, Fubara on peaceful LG polls
In his reaction, South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, hailed President Tinubu and Governor Fubara of Rivers States on the peaceful conduct of last Saturday’s local government elections.
In a statement yesterday, in Abuja, the elder statesman said: “I join millions of Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to thank God for the very successful, transparent and peaceful LG elections that took place in Rivers State on October 5, 2024. I am particularly glad that the citizens of the state turned out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote.
“This achievement, despite the deliberate boycott of the police from participating in the elections, demonstrates that the people of Rivers State and, indeed, Nigerians as a whole, are mature and patriotic enough to conduct elections and manage their affairs without interference from the police.
“This is a significant and commendable development because there has never been any election, be it presidential, state or local government, where the security agencies, particularly the police, were not involved, with significant amounts of public funds expended.
“The fact that statewide LG elections can be conducted in a free, fair and credible manner without the loss of lives and destruction of property is a remarkable experience.”
LP vows to challenge Rivers LGA polls in court
Meanwhile, the Labour Party, LP, has described Saturday’s council elections conducted in Rivers State as a sham.
LP said it was heading to court to challenge the process, adding that RSIEC conducted the election in defiance of set standards of the election.
The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, yesterday, vowed not to engage in a media tussle with Governor Fubara over the political crisis in the state.
The police, however, faulted the allegations by the governor and said they were only obeying a court order barring the force from participating in the LGA elections.
The police spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement also debunked the “prevailing falsehood of partisanship circulating in the media”.
Adejobi also reaffirmed the police’s “neutrality and non-interference in political affairs” within the state and the country.
He noted that the “misinformation triggered by the unwarranted outburst of Fubara was uncalled for.”
