PORT HARCOURT: There is tension in Rivers state as the two major political parties, the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP continue to claim brutal murder of their members by the other.While governor Chibuike Amaechi alleged recently that over thirty members of his APC have been gunned down in Rivers state in political related circumstances the PDP governorship candidate, Barr Nyesom Wike on his part said over 45 PDP members have also been killed on account of their political affiliation. He said this when he addressed a team from the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC led by the Chairman, Prof Chidi Odinakalu in Port Harcourt.
The two parties have continued to evidence some of their claims with names of alleged members killed. Governor Amaechi at a press briefing in Government House, Port Harcourt, reeled out about eight names of members of his party he said were killed at different locations in the state recently, adding that about thirty members of his party had been arrested by the Police on what he termed frivolous reasons.
The APC and the PDP have also lashed at the police for allegedly being biased. The PDP governorship candidate, Barr Wike alleged that the governor and his APC maintain a killer squad in the police , code named C4I and urged the Inspector General of Police to immediately disband the body
“Amaechi and APC brewed the crisis in Rivers State through their illegal actions and acts of violence against the PDP. Since this year, we have lost over 40 PDP members murdered by armed agents of the APC and members of the See for Eye, C4I, Police team directly answerable to Governor Amaechi.
“We call on Inspector General of Police to, as a matter of urgency, disband Amaechi’s hit squad called C4I used to kill our members before the general elections. We will, otherwise, be compelled to defend ourselves against the killings”, he said.
The APC on its part accused the Police of conspiring with the PDP to harass, intimidate and arrest its members, saying the move were part of plots to rig the elections for the PDP.
“Unfortunately the Nigeria Police force in Rivers state has led to a great escalation of these acts of killings, unlawful arrests and detention on frivolous and unsubstantiated reasons as well as constant and un-abating harassment using the very same police meant to protect all sides.
“The most ridiculous is that the Police whom we are supposed to run to for protection have commenced the withdrawal of Police security for top APC members including that of gubernatorial candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside”, Amaechi said.
Amaechi further said the reported withdrawal of Policemen from his party’s governorship candidate was a likely step towards executing an alleged scheme to assassinate Peterside.
Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG zone 6, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin who responded to the allegations by the various parties on the Police said they were not true.
According to him, the Police would continue to discharge their responsibility professionally in all states under his zone. To reassure the political parties of the neutrality of the police he said he had to order that men of the C4I should no longer be deplored to protect politicians, adding that they should also not be posted to campaign rallies of any of the political parties any longer.
“ The C4I unit should henceforth stop featuring in political campaigns. The C4I Unit of the Department of Operations should on no account post their officers to any political appointee or VIP;”, he said.
Also the state Police Public relations officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad who declined comment on the allegation of arrest of APC members indiscriminately by the Police said most of them were being tried at a federal High court in Port Harcourt for criminal offences. “The matter is in court so I will not want to comment on an issue before the court”, he told the Vanguard.
Residents of the state have also expressed worries over political and cult related killings in the state.
According to Sopriye David it had been difficult to draw a line between cult and political killings in the state because of the elections around the corner.
According to him, most of the cult groups have been recruited by the political class to prosecute their interest in the coming elections. “So the killings you see are both political and cult- related
