Thousands came out to protest with Governor Nyesom Wike as he took to the streets of Port Harcourt to protest police brutality.
Wike leading protesters in Rivers State
The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike led thousands of
people on the streets of Rivers on Thursday to protest the alleged
killings by the police and other security agencies during the December
10 rerun elections.
In a report by Punch, the governor and other protesters had taken
off from the Government House, Port Harcourt at 8am and marched through
Azikiwe Street and Bank Road before stopping at the Rivers State Police
Command headquarters on Moscow Road.
The Governor was forced to wait for 30 minutes before the Deputy
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Cyril Okoro came out and spoke through the
gate.
While venting his anger, the Governor explained that the people of
Rivers State were at the Police Command to inform the authorities that
they were tired of the killings of innocent people in the state by the
police and other security operatives.
He pointed out that the people and state government were
dissatisfied with the recklessness of two Senior Policemen, the
Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Steven Hasso,
and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Mr Akin Fakorede.
According to him, the officers led the “sponsored onslaught”
against the people of Rivers State and compromised the security
architecture of the state.
“On behalf of the Rivers State Government and the good people
of the state, we have to let the police know that enough is enough.
“We demand that the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge
of Operations, Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery
Squad, Akin Fakorede, must leave the state.
“Since you don’t want to protect the state and you want to be
politicians, you have gotten the votes you want to get, you have also
gotten the seats you want to get; you can now leave the state.
“If they don’t leave the state, then we will do all we can to
ensure they leave this state. They must leave this state. They have
killed innocent people.
“We have come here peacefully, communicate this to your superiors in Abuja. I cannot write again since I have done that repeatedly.
"Please, I don’t want my people to die anymore,” Wike said.
The governor stated that the Police High Command had refused to act
despite the overwhelming evidence against the duo, especially the video
footage that showed Akin Fakorede and other security operatives trying
to snatch results of the Rivers East Senatorial District.
Wike described a situation, where security officials had transformed into politicians in uniform as unfortunate.
Reacting, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Cyril Okoro,
assured the governor that the Rivers State Police Command would pass his
message to the Police High Command for necessary action.
However, at the main entrance to the State Police Command, the
policemen inside the command did not open the gate for the governor and
other protesters.
Among those who accompanied the governor to the State Police
Command were the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo;
Speaker, State House of Assembly, Dabo Adams; ex-minister of Transport,
Dr Abiye Sekibo; former UBA chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra;
ex-state deputy governor, Tele Ikuru; and Rivers State PDP Chairman,
Chief Felix Obuah.
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