…Says no money was found in judge’s residence, DSS lied
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that he is ready to sacrifice his life in order to protect the state from external predators.
The governor charged the people of the state to rise up to defend the state and her interest in the coming weeks as anti-democratic forces have ganged up against Rivers people.
Speaking during the flag-off the construction of Abua-Emoh-Egbolom road in Abua/Odual Local Government Area on Saturday, Wike said: “This is the time to say no to illegality. If they are testing the waters for rigging and mayhem, it will not work”.
Briefing the people on the failed abduction of a Federal High Court Judge by the Police and DSS, the governor said that the security operatives were on an illegal mission to entrench an evil scheme in Rivers State.
He said: “I told the security operatives who planned to abduct the judge that instead of this impunity, you better take my life. I will always protect the interest of this state.
“When God gives you an assignment, he will give you the enablement to complete the assignment. Rivers people must be ready to fight any form of injustice. I am ready to defend Rivers State with my life”.
Meanwhile, Wike has criticized the statement released by the Department of State Services detailing how operatives found a huge amount of money during nationwide raids on homes of judges.
Wike said the report was concocted to justify an unconstitutional assault on the nation’s judiciary.
He said the National Judicial Council had the responsibility to discipline erring and corrupt judges, after which indicted judicial officers were handed over to the relevant law enforcement agency for prosecution
The governor stated that he prevented the DSS from arresting the judge because they could kill him and use that as a pretext to say the state was not safe and to prepare grounds for declaration of a state of emergency.
According to him, “Their blackmail stories will not move me. They will concoct all kinds of stories to justify this undemocratic illegality perpetrated against the judiciary.
“It is really unfortunate that DSS would concoct a false defence that $2million USD, (that is N900million) was found in the house of the judge. It is unfortunate that the DSS is coming up with flimsy excuses.
“In the police, erring and corrupt policemen are first given orderly room trial, sacked and then appropriately prosecuted. For judicial officers, the DSS has no role.
“This impunity must stop. I am not in support of any judicial officer being involved in corruption.
“If they had abducted the judge, they may go ahead to kill the judge and they will say that Rivers State is insecure.
“We must resist this injustice. Nobody can intimidate Rivers people. If you use to do that, not now. I am informing you before you will read whatever lies they will circulate in newspapers.”
