…CP rejects attack, asassination claims
Gunmen suspected to be political thugs, accompanied by some policemen on Sunday night allegedly attacked the Port Harcourt residence of a Rivers State lawmaker, Edison Ehie.
Although, it could not be ascertained whether damages or casualties were recorded during the incident, It was gathered that the attack was thwarted by security details of the lawmaker.
A statement signed by Ken Uchendu, Legislative Correspondent, Rivers State House of Assembly and made available to journalists on Monday, described the attack as a assassination attempt on Ehie.
Uchendu, accused some senior Police officers in the state of leading the onslaught, adding that the incident which happened around 11pm was captured on closed-circut television (CCTV) camera.
He however called on President Bola Tinubu to hold the Rivers State Police Command responsible should there be a breakdown of Law and order in the state.
The statement reads, “At about 11pm on Sunday the 19th day of November, 2023, a group of Armed thugs and rogue Police Officers attached to the CTU B 3 RSV attacked the private residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, fully armed with an intention to assassinate Mr. Speaker and his family.
“However, the thugs and rogue Police Officers led by the two above-named police officers in Rivers State were vehemently repelled in a gun battle by the official security details attached to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Barr. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS.
“It is imperative to note that the armed rogues and officers were properly and fully captured by CCTV footage in the residence, which shall be made available to all media Houses, including the CNN, Aljazeera and other National and International media outlets for the records.
“In the same vein, the Speaker would be addressing a World Press conference on Monday the 20th of November, 2023.
“Let it be on record that Rivers people, boys, girls, women, men including the aged shall in our numbers occupy the streets stark naked in demonstration against the Nigerian Police and those sponsoring violence in Rivers State, no matter how highly placed, Rivers people will resist them.
“Finally, should there be a breakdown of Law and order in Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should hold the above-named Officers, the Rivers State Police Command and their sponsors in Rivers State responsible.”
In his reaction, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, who rejected the residential attack and asassination attempt claim on Ehie, said preliminary investigation revealed that police officers around the lawmaker’s house were on routine patrol.
The CP however called on anyone with complain to reach out to the command, adding that so far, no formal complaint from the lawmaker had been received by the Command.
Disu said, “Preliminary investigation we have done so far, this morning has not revealed any assassination attempt.
“All I knew was that police officers were on patrol, a routine thing. We have made frantic efforts to meet the leader to give us any information he has so that we can include it in what we have. So far so good, nothing to worry about.
“My plea to him and every other person is that if there are any complaints my phone number will be made public, they should call me quickly and I will quickly look into it. So for now I have not received any official complaint.”
