Rivers: Reps members urge Fubara to charge ex-LGA chairmen for treason against Wike

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been urged by opposition members of the House of Representatives to prosecute 23 former Rivers State local government chairmen who were devoted to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for treason.

The opposition MPs insisted that it was treasonous for the former council chairmen to try to forcibly hold onto their seats after their three-year term under the constitution expired.

This was revealed on Tuesday during a press conference held by the opposition MPs affiliated with the G60 following an emergency meeting in Abuja.

They also praised Fubara and the people of Rivers State for putting up a fight against disgruntled individuals trying to illegally seize control of local government councils.

“Section 20 of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act, which gives citizens the authority to apprehend and stop any criminal act being committed in their presence, is in line with this heroic action.”

According to Ugochinyere, “a private person may arrest a suspect in Nigeria who in his presence commits an offence or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed an offence for which the police is entitled to arrest without a warrant” under Section 39 of the Nigeria Police Act of 2020.

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He urged the judges to continue being watchful in suppressing the actions of those who are fervently trying to seize control of the government in Rivers State or anywhere else in the nation.

Speaking for the group, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere charged the former chairmen of local government with violating Section 37(1) of the Criminal Code Act, Section 39 of the Nigeria Police Act, Sections 12 and 23 of the Criminal Code Act, and Section 1(2) of the Constitution, which forbids any individual or group from attempting to gain an illegal position of authority in the nation or to use force to seize control of any region of Nigeria.

According to Ugochinyere, “We honour the bravery of the people of Rivers State who bravely stood up to defend the local government and thwart the attempt by the former chairmen to unlawfully seize the institution of governance.”