… He is raising false alarm-APC
Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris has faulted the allegation by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike that the police are behind the myriads of criminal activities in the state.
IGP Idris described Wike’s comments as a personal opinion on the security situation in his state.
He explained that the display of a body purported to be that of the police in a crime scene did not indicate that the policeman was involved in the crime.
“That a policeman was killed in Rivers in connection with the IPOB issue is different from saying that the policeman was involved in a crime. You cannot say that the one attacked and killed is the one involved in the crime,” Idris said.
He described the governor’s comment as a sweeping allegation which “does not make sense to me”.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of raising false alarm against security agencies in the state.
Recall that the governor had on Wednesday, claimed the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives were behind kidnapping and robbing in the state.
Rivers APC, at a press conference in Port Harcourt by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, Secretary, Emeka Beke and other leaders of the party, accused the governor of having sewn police uniforms for thugs used by his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rig the 2015 elections and rerun in Rivers.
The party stated that Wike ought to have emulated his Abia State counterpart, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, who was proactive by declaring three-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia, with the curfew later extended to Friday, to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
It noted further that the failure of Wike’s government to engage in productive ventures, was responsible for increase in the crime rate in Rivers, with hungry and angry youths returning to crime.
Wike alleged that the SARS Commander in Rivers, Mr. Akin Fakorede, and operatives of the squad were indicted by an official police signal, which he claimed showed that they were responsible for the series of kidnapping and robbery across the state.
The main opposition party said: “Ordinarily, the APC has no business involving in any matter between the Rivers governor and any other entity, but in the instant case and even in previous related cases, Wike has either alluded to or expressly stated that the APC benefited from whatever allegations he raised against the police or particularly the SARS. The APC has also been at the receiving end of the false alarms Wike had previously raised against the police, which, in all cases, turned out to be mere smokescreen by the governor to mask his real intentions.
“From all indications, the Rivers governor’s accusation on Wednesday that members of SARS abducted some persons and forced them to withdraw N500,000, is manifestly cooked up to directly smear members of the SARS and the Commander, Akin Fakorede, who is known to have resisted advances made by Wike to compromise the officer.
“Wike has never hidden his disdain for the SARS commander, due to the officer’s principled and professional stance in rejecting the governor’s bait in the past two years. Wike seems to have sworn to have Akin Fakorede compromised or transferred out of Rivers State, to pave the way for a replacement that may play ball with him.
“Just before the killings in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA (ONELGA) of Rivers State assumed a frightening dimension, Wike had raised the alarm, accusing the military and police of invading ONELGA. Just after his blackmail of the Army and Police, his private army, led by Don Wannie, launched his massive killing and beheading in ONELGA. Same was the case when Wike sponsored a campaign of calumny against the military personnel that tried to normalise security in Ogoniland. He made all manner of accusations against the Army that had gone in search of Solomon Ndigbara, Wike’s private army general in Ogoni. Shortly after the sponsored campaign against the Army in Ogoni , Ndigbara launched his killings in Ogoniland.
“Part of the concerns of the APC is that whenever Wike is about committing some security infractions, he diverts attention from himself, by raising false alarm against security agencies, especially the police. In the instant case, Rivers governor is raising these alarms to distract the police and pave the way for his killers to undertake further killings in Rivers State. Without doubt, we believe the security information in our kitty to that effect.”
