By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed that its personnel attacked Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Monday at the State Assembly complex but said it was not deliberate.
Recall that men of the command led by the deputy commissioner incharge of operations were seen in a viral vnideo pouring water and firing teargas at the governor during his visit to the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday to inspect the level of damage done by the inferno that engulfed the complex Sunday night.
The governor who later briefed journalist at the assembly accused the police of complicity and attempts on his life.
Fubara said: “From what I am seeing the security is even compromised. The DC operations was shooting at me directly, but it doesn’t matter, somebody will die one day.
“I want to die the death, when people hear who is Fubara, they will say he is that man that was killed for a just struggle for Rivers people”.
But the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko said the attack on the governor was not deliberate as the governor’s presence at the assembly in the wake of the crisis was not known to the police.
She said the command mobilised to disperse the youths who had gathered to protest the attempts by the assembly to remove the governor and to prevent further attack on the assembly following the earlier case of arson.
“The presence of the Governor at the scene was of great surprise and shock as there was no prior communication to the Police on the visit of the Governor to the scene of the crime which ordinarily is the usual protocol and complimentary that we accompany his guard for proper safety considering the intelligence of security threat at hand then.
“In consideration of this, the DC Ops quickly took deliberate security steps to ensure his protection and safety, while the Governor and his entourage went on to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident.
“Thus, it’s pertinent to state that the Police did not deliberately attack the Governor, or even attempt to hurt anyone let alone the Chief Executive and Security Officer of the state which is our most essential role to protect as being peddled in the news. Due to the present situation, and the misrepresentation in some sections of the media, it is pertinent to make this clarification,” Iringe-Koko said.
The statement further said that the police has restored normalcy to the area.
