Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of the state, was attacked on Monday during a protest at the state’s House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, according to the Rivers State Police Command.
The command described the attack as “not purposeful,” adding that the water cannons and tear gas were used to scatter the protesters and ensure the governor’s safety from arsonists who were causing chaos on the property.
“Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, particularly at the State House of Assembly on Monday, October 30, and recalling the previous case of arson on the State House of Assembly a day prior which is currently being investigated, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations immediately deployed armed police operatives which he personally supervised in order to inter
“At the complex’s entrance, it was noted that more than a hundred young people had started a protest in an attempt to enter the complex and behave in a way that may disturb the tranquilly.
Read Also: Fubara: My base must continue to be politically significant- Wike
As a result, the police had to use non-lethal crowd control tools, such water cannons and tear gas, to scatter the unruly and rioting demonstrators.
Nevertheless, a few minutes later, a different hostile group of people approached the complex’s entrance and moved into. As a result, the police confronted them similarly, but they noticed that Siminalayi Fubara, the State’s Executive Governor, was among them.
The police claimed that the governor’s presence at the scene was shocking and unexpected because they had not been informed in advance of the governor’s visit to the crime scene. Normally, it is customary and polite for us to accompany the governor’s guard for our own safety, but given the intelligence at the time regarding the potential security threat, this wasn’t the case.
“Given this, the DC Ops moved swiftly to implement strategic security measures to guarantee his safety and protection, while the Governor and his delegation proceeded to evaluate the extent of the fire incident’s damage.
Therefore, it is important to clarify that the police did not intentionally harm the governor or even try to harm anyone, much less the state’s chief executive and security officer, who is our most important duty to safeguard, despite what is being reported in the media. It is important to make this clear in light of the current circumstances and the misinformation in some sectors of the media.
In a similar vein, the statement stated that “the Rivers State Police Command has implemented sufficient security measures to guarantee that the situation de-escalates and complete calm is restored in the affected areas.”
Remember that when the governor’s entourage was making their way to the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex—which was allegedly set on fire after a conflict involving state lawmakers—the police opened fire on them with water cannons and tear gas.
Additionally, it was discovered that after the governor invaded the building to stop his impeachment, some MPs and protestors were dispersed with tear gas.
Amid the state’s protracted turmoil, the governor accused security forces of partiality and of “shooting at him directly.”
