- Two Killed As Police Take Over 23 Rivers LG Secretariats
- Fubara Talks Tough, Vows To Protect Supporters
- Charge Ex-LG Bosses With Treason, Federal Lawmakers Tell Fubara
The Local Government (LG) crisis rocking Rivers State in the oil-rich South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria has assumed a worrisome dimension as two security operatives have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Though the details are still sketchy, it was gathered however that the sad deaths which occurred in Omuma Local Government Area on Tuesday, might not be unconnected with the invasion of the council headquarters at Eberi-Omuma.
The Matrix had predicted yesterday that a showdown is looming in the state following the expiration of the tenure of local government chairmen expires today, June 17, at midnight with the chairmen refusing to vacate office despite Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s warnings.
The chairmen, under the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), are relying on a controversial law passed by the State House of Assembly, which extends their tenure by six months.
READ ALSO: Fresh Tension In Rivers As Fubara, LGs Chairmen Head For Showdown
State ALGON Chairman, Allwell Ihunda, who is also the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, insisted, “The law by the House of Assembly empowers us to remain in office.”
Countering this, Fubara has maintained that the law is illegal and has warned the chairmen against taking any action that could disrupt the state’s peace.
Similarly, the state’s commissioner for police, Tunde Disu also warned troublemakers to steer clear of the state after angry youths stormed different secretariats in the state.
However, indications that things were about to turn ugly emerged when Fubara, in a statewide address on Tuesday morning directed all Heads of Local Government Administration, HLGAs, in the state’s 23 local government areas to take charge of councils starting Tuesday, June 18, 2024.
READ ALSO: Fubara has Achieved Nothing in One Year In Office – Rivers APC
In the aftermath, two lives were reportedly lost to skirmishes that ensued.
Confirming the incident to Channels Television, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said two deaths were recorded.
She said a policeman and a vigilante operative lost their lives in the crisis.
When pressed for further details, she said investigations have commenced and more details would be released soon.
Iringe-Koko said, “Conventional police officers and anti-riot police officers have been deployed to these facilities.
“While urging all groups and individuals to be law-abiding, the Command also warns anyone who intends to cause mayhem as we will not hesitate to impose the full weight of the law on them.
“We also wish to ask the law-abiding residents and visitors in the state to go about their lawful businesses without fear. We are resolved to carry out our constitutional duty of protecting lives and property.”
Earlier, Governor Fubara had convened a security council meeting with heads of security agencies following recent political developments in the state.
The meeting was held behind closed doors at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
After the meeting, Governor Fubara told the press that discussions with the security heads centred on strategies to contain the invasion of local government secretariats.
In a related development, some members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of G-60 have urged Fubara to charge former local government chairmen in the state with treason for attempting to continue in office despite the expiration of their three-year tenure.
The group led by the lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, stated this at a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday. Aliyu Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna), Matthew Nwogu (LP, Imo) and Midaila Usman(PDP, Borno) were also at the press briefing.
Ugochinyere said, “We also appreciate Governor Siminalayi Fubara for being a democratic leader. Despite all the provocation, he allowed the former local government chairmen to complete their three-year tenure unlike his predecessor, who upon election in 2015, dissolved the local government chairmen under Governor Amaechi despite order of court.
“We wish to call on the government of Rivers State to immediately prepare treason charges against the 23 former LGA chairmen and their sponsors and co-conspirators for the failed attempt to unlawfully takeover the government of the 23 LGA knowing full well that their tenure had elapsed and they are no longer local government chairmen.”
“Section 37 Criminal Code Act (1) provides that “Any person who levies war against the State, in order to intimidate or overawe the President or the Governor of a State, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death.
“(2) Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to the punishment of death:
“Provided that nothing in this section shall prevent any act from being treason which is so by the laws of England as in force in Nigeria,” he added.
