Amaechi Was Target Of Police Bullet At Sunday's Disrupted Rally, Rivers Government Allege

Police Deny Shooting At Rally, Say Deployed 'Minimum Force' BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 12, (THEWILL) - The Rivers State Government in a statement on Sunday said 'it has it on good authority' that officers of the state police command had planned to shoot the State Governor, Mr.

Rotimi Amaechi, at Sunday's botched rally of the Save Rivers Movement held at the College of Arts and Sciences, Rumuola, Port Harcourt.

Mrs Ibim Semenitari, the Commissioner for information and Communications, who in the statement described the police attack on a pro APC rally as senseless and a continuous rape of democracy, claimed that Senator Magnus Abe took the bullet meant for Amaechi.

Abe was hit in the chest by a rubber bullet just as the Chief of Staff Government House, Mr.

Tony Okocha, was hit in the leg by a bullet as police fired dud rounds and teargas.

The Senator is being treated in a local hospital where his doctor said he was brought in a state of shock caused by low blood pressure.

'He was unable to talk or eat, and he was feeling restless as a result of traumatic shock.

The implication is that there is hemorrhage; this is a blood trauma.

.
.
,'' he said.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state in a separate statement said 5 children were killed during the stampede as people scampered for safety during the police action.

The full text of the statement by the Rivers State Government reads: 'Amaechi Not Abe was Mbu's target at the Save Rivers Rally  - Rivers State Government Today Sunday January 12, 2014, Rivers State witnessed another senseless attack on innocent citizens in a continuous rape of democracy by the Joseph Mbu led Rivers State police command.

Today's attack on members of the Save Rivers Movement, a nongovernmental association at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt Rivers State and especially the unprovoked shooting of Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district is cause for worry and an indication of the length that the PDP is willing to go to silence opposing views.

The Rivers State government has it on good authority that Senator Abe took the bullet originally meant for Governor Chibuike Amaechi who was billed to be present at the event.

This is disconcerting especially in the light of recent revelations that the presidency may be training snipers ahead of the 2015 elections and that Governor Amaechi is top on the list of those to be eliminated.

The Rivers State Government wishes to request the Federal Government and its agencies to respect the rules of democratic engagement in their misguided fight against the people of Rivers State and especially save our nation from the unnecessary chaos into which federal agents like Mbu want to plunge it ahead of the 2015 elections.

The Rivers State Government therefore reiterates its call for the re deployment of CP Mbu from Rivers State before he turns the state into a graveyard because of his intolerance and unprofessional behaviour.

The Government of Rivers State understands that Mr.

Mbu would prefer to be a 'policetician' rather than a responsible police officer but would request that he attempts to at least protect the lives and properties of the poor Rivers taxpayers who pay his salary, and who are the real employers of the officers and men of the Rivers State police command.

The Rivers State Government condemns the disruption of the Save Rivers Movement rally especially since the disruption is selective seeing that the police do not only allow members of the PDP Grass root Democratic Initiative (GDI) to hold rallies but indeed provides them with protection.

The Rivers State government believes in the freedom of association and freedom of expression guaranteed to all Nigerians by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and wishes to ask the Inspector General of Police, the Chairman Police Service commission, the Chairman Nigeria Human Rights Commission and Mr.

President on whose table the buck ends as Commander in Chief and the Nation's Number One citizen to call Mr.

Mbu to order and bring an end to this impunity in Rivers State, and restore the hope of Rivers people that they have not been marked as enemies and lamb for slaughter in their own country.

Despite the shenanigans of Mr.
Mbu and his cohorts, the Rivers State Government wishes to reassure Rivers people of its commitment to fight on the side of the people and on the side of truth.

We appeal to our people to remain law abiding and not to take the laws into their own hands as we promise to continue to use all legitimate and legal means to guarantee the safety of our people and their rights to exist in Nigeria.

Signed Ibim Semenitari Commissioner of Information and Communications, Rivers State January 12, 2014.

Police Deny Shooting Allegation The Rivers Police Command spokesman, Ahmad Muhammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, (DSP) has denied allegations that its personnel shot and wounded a member of the National Assembly, Sen.

Magnus Abe.
The spokesman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt on Sunday that the police did not dispense any bullet while dispersing the rally organized by Save Rivers Movement.

He said the rally was dispersed because the police did not approve a permit for it.

'I can confirm to you that Sen.
Magnus Abe was not shot.
The police did not expend any single bullet while dispersing the crowd.

'It is not true.
The police did not shoot the senator, we only used minimum force to disperse the crowd at the venue of the rally,'' he claimed.