Rivers Crisis: Police Conclude Probe on Officers Who Shot at Gov Fubara
- The Rivers police command has finally reacted to the allegation that some of its officers shot at Governor Sim Fubara during his inspection at the state parliament
- In a statement released 48 hours after the unfortunate incident, the police said the shots fired at the governor were not deliberate
- The police stated that the use of non-lethal materials was meant to disperse unruly protesters
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil society, courts and metro
Port Harcourt, Rivers - The Rivers State Police Command has concluded a probe on the incident in which shots were fired in the vicinity of Governor Siminalayi Fubara during a protest at the State House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt on Monday, October 30.
According to the police command, it was not a deliberate attack by its officers.
Source: Facebook
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 1, the Police Command said their personnel were dealing with a group of protesting youths who had the potential to cause trouble when the governor and his entourage unexpectedly arrived at the scene without prior communication, which is the standard procedure.
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As reported by Leadership, the statement reads:
“At the entrance of the Complex, it was observed that youths numbering over a hundred had begun a protest to gain access to the Complex and conduct themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
“This led to the Police deploying non-lethal crowd control equipment, including tear gas and water cannons, to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters."
Background of Gov Fubara's alleged police attack
This clarification comes more than 48 hours after Governor Fubara accused the Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, of shooting at him directly while he was en route to the State House of Assembly complex to address the protesting youths.
The protesters had gathered to voice their concerns over alleged plans by lawmakers loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to impeach the governor.
However, the command's spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, explained that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) had taken intentional security measures to ensure the governor's safety while he assessed the damage caused by arsonists at the State House of Assembly complex from the previous Sunday night.
She said:
“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."
Wike to Fubara: “You can’t just take away my structure”
Meanwhile, the ex-governor of Rivers State has broken his silence over his feud with Governor Sim Fubara.
Wike, in a media parley in Abuja, accused the incumbent of trying to collapse his political structure in the state.
Wike maintained that every politician wants to remain politically relevant, and the right thing must be done.
Source: Legit.ng
