Police Force Joins Plot To Destabilise Rivers State

…. Withdraws Policemen Attached To Speaker, Governor’s Chief Of Staff

…. Governor Amaechi’s Security Detail May Be Withdrawn Soon

SAN FRANCISCO, May 16, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Police Force in Rivers State led by its Commissioner, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, has teamed up with the politicians hell bent on creating a situation of insecurity and precipitating anarchy in Rivers State with the gradual and systematic withdrawal of policemen attached to some sensitive office holders in the state who are strong supporters of State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.

THEWILL can report that the grand plot started a few days ago with the withdrawal of the orderly to the Chairman of Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Governor Amaechi, Chief G U Ake. Subsequently his close aide, Mr. Eric Ezenekwe was brutally assassinated by yet to be unmasked gunmen inside his hometown residence in Erema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

A fresh dimension in the political drama emerged on Thursday as the police force withdrew police officers attached to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Otelemaba Dan Amachree and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Tony Okocha.

Recall that the Speaker had written an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday alerting him of the plot to withdraw police orderlies and security personnel assigned to Amaechi and other top politicians in the state who are his supporters. Amachree further warned that the withdrawal of security was part of the plot to assassinate Amaechi and his key allies in government.

Other supporters of Amaechi who suffered the same fate as the Speaker include the Chairmen of Okrika and Omuma Local Government Areas.

A reliable source from within the Rivers State Police Command who opted to remain anonymous told THEWILL that the Police High Command is acting on the directive of the Nigerian First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan who visited Bayelsa State only last week and summoned all the security chiefs in the region into a closed-door meeting.

Many have questioned the source of the First Lady’s power to summon security chiefs at will while most well-meaning Nigerians like Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and prominent jurist Mr. Femi Falana SAN have, on different occasions, complained bitterly about the undue meddlesome attitude of the Nigerian Presidency in state politics.

In a statement released on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Speaker confirmed the withdrawal of his security detail saying, “Sequel to my letter to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, Commander-in-Chief, Nigerian Armed Forces of plans by some persons to unleash mayhem in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mbu Joseph Mbu, has unceremoniously withdrawn the police orderly and escort attached to me.

“Recall that I have earlier expressed my fears about plans to withdraw security operatives from the governor and top officials of the Rivers State Government, including me, making us vulnerable to attacks by hoodlums.

Now my fears are made worse by the recent murder of an aide to Chief G. U. Ake, Mr. Eric Ezenekwe, at his hometown in Erema, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. On this premise, I still stand on my earlier call for the redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.”

The onslaught against Amaechi by the Nigerian Presidency is clearly a renewed assault on the Rivers State Governor and current Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) after he announced his candidacy for re-election as Chairman of the influential forum.

The Presidency also believes that Amaechi may be on the ballot in the 2015 Presidential election as a Vice Presidential candidate to a formidable PDP candidate from the north, which may frustrate President Jonathan’s reelection bid.

A former Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi and now Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is working closely with the President’s kitchen cabinet to frustrate Mr. Amaechi at all cost.

A fortnight ago, an effort to impeach the Governor was aborted when an overwhelming majority of the State House of Assembly rose in his support. The most surprising side to the unfolding saga is the clear involvement of the Police to destabilise law and other in the state in a manner that is capable of endangering the security of many multinational interests in the state.

The election for the chairmanship of the NGF has been slated for next week.