…As Wike vows to prosecute perpetrators
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the perpetrators of last Monday’s killings at Mgbuoshimini in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state will be brought to justice.
Speaking on Tuesday when he led members of the State Security Council for an on-the-spot assessment of the community where unknown gunmen killed innocent persons at a market, Governor Wike said that security agencies have been empowered to fish out the culprits.
He said: “This is most unfortunate. Those involved in this dastardly act will not go scot free. The security agencies have been empowered to go after them.
“Everybody should remain calm as we are talking measures to ensure that our people are protected from such ugly attacks.”
The governor stated that initial security report indicate that it is a cult-related violence, wondering why perpetrators would unleash mayhem on innocent persons.
He said that as part of measures to forestall a recurrence, the administration will build a police station and quarters to check the activities of criminals.
The governor said that the State Government will assist the families of the deceased.
Governor Wike called on members of the public to cooperate with security agencies through the supply of relevant information to check the activities of criminals.
“We will not leave any stone unturned. We will fight the cultists to the point that they will know that Rivers State is not a safe haven for them.
“But we require the support of the public. The security agencies have given us the assurances that they will do their best. For sometime, we have had relative peace before this unfortunate incident”.
It will be recalled that Governor Wike had personally led security agencies to demolish homes of cult leaders in Mgbuoshimini.
Meanwhile, sources within the community say the death toll from the massacre has reached twenty five as more bodies were discovered from a river in the area.
Similarly, chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Bro Felix Obuah has condemned in its entirety the early Monday morning carnage that took place in the community, describing it as one too many.
Lamenting the unfortunate act of lawlessness, Obuah wondered why anybody or some persons would against all reason prefer taking others’ lives as a way settling scores when there were better rational ways of addressing issues.
According to the PDP boss, this is a very regrettable self-inflicted injury as security reports hinted that the actors involved in the incident were rival cult groups in the area who are same kith and kin.
Obuah however sympathized with the families of the victims and enjoined them to keep hope alive as the State Government is willing and prepared to give all logistic support to security agencies in ensuring that all those behind the slaughter are fished out and brought to book.
The State PDP chairman also believes that some of these criminal activities and bloodletting could be avoided if the security agencies had devoted more time to their professional duty other than dabbling into politics which according to him tends to give impetus to indulgence in sinister activities by certain individuals who feel protected by the security agents.
He frowned at a situation where security agents hobnob and pledge allegiance to politicians and political parties as is the case with some senior members of the police force and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State to the detriment of lives and property, describing it as absurd.
The PDP boss warned of the dire consequences of politicizing crimes and security issues as any breach of law and order could be so ravaging that anybody could be a victim irrespective of who, what and where you are including one’s relations or friends.
“There is therefore every need to see security of lives and property as a sine-qua-non and carried out without bias or prejudice. Not doing so is not only sin against God but also sabotage against the unprecedented efforts of our dear Governor, Nyesom Wike who has left no stone unturned in his bid to give the lives of Rivers people and residents in the State meaning and value”, the State PDP chairman declared.
