Armed men posing as police officers and maybe political thugs broke into Rivers factional Speaker Edison Ehie’s Port Harcourt home on Sunday night.
Remember how, following the crisis in the state legislature, Ehie, the Leader of the State House of Assembly, proclaimed himself Speaker?
Ehie had been suspended as House leader by about 24 lawmakers, two of whom were House members.
While announcing the suspension of several of his colleagues, Ehie informed reporters last month that he had been unanimously elected Speaker by 26 Members of Parliament.
Since it is unknown if there was any damage or casualties during the invasion, details of the attack on Ehie’s home are hazy.
This occurred following a retreat in Abuja for 27 MPs under the direction of House Speaker Martin Amaewhule, which the latter termed as capacity building.
When reached, Grace Iringe-Koko, a spokesman for the state police command, stated she had not yet received the report.
She did, however, pledge to look into it and get back to our reporter.
As of Monday morning, when I filed this report, she still hadn’t done so.
In the meantime, a statement circulated to reporters and purportedly signed by Ken Uchendu, the Legislative Correspondent of the State House of Assembly, labelled the incident as an attempt at assassination.
The statement claimed that the leader of a state police tactical squad, along with some unidentified individuals, carried out the attempted assassination.
It issued a warning, saying that if anything were to happen to the incoming Speaker and his family, the senior police personnel would be held accountable.
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The public was given the assurance that CCTV footage of the act will be made available for verification and documentation.
“A group of armed thugs and police officers attached to the CTU B 3 RSV attacked the private residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, November 19, 2023, fully armed with the intention of assassinating Mr. Speaker and his family,” the statement stated.
The official security personnel attached to the Speaker, however, fiercely resisted the thugs and the police officers in a gunfight.
The CCTV footage from the residence, which will be provided to all media outlets for their records, including CNN, Aljazeera, and other national and worldwide media outlets, must be noted as it fully and accurately captured the armed rogues and officers.
“Let it be documented that Rivers people, men, women, and even the elderly, will en masse occupy the streets in nude protest against the Nigerian Police and those who are funding violence in Rivers State. No matter how powerful they are, the people of Rivers will not submit to their influence.”
“In conclusion, President Bola Tinubu ought to hold the Rivers State Police Command and their supporters accountable in the event that law and order breaks down in Rivers State.”
