Following the Local Government crisis rocking Rivers State, two security operatives have lost their lives in the line of duty.
It was gathered that the sad deaths which occurred in Omuma Local Government Area on Tuesday, might not be unconnected with the invasion of the council headquarters at Eberi-Omuma.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said two deaths were recorded.
She said a policeman and a vigilante operative lost their lives in the crisis.
She also said, “To forestall more bloodshed and prevent a further breakdown of law and order, the police have taken over all the 23 council secretariats and some critical government infrastructure in the state.”
However, following the tense atmosphere at local government secretariats in Rivers State on Tuesday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara met with security chiefs behind closed doors at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The security council meeting had been convened after the battle to take charge of local council secretariats took a chaotic dimension on Tuesday, with gunshots rending the air amid confrontations involving pro and anti-Fubara supporters, with security agents battling to restore peace.
It was also reported that the statue of the former governor, Nyesom Wike, was destroyed by those who invaded the secretariat.
While the 23 local government chairmen insisted that their tenure was yet to expire, Governor Fubara, had in a statewide broadcast, directed Heads of Local Government Administration to take charge of their councils, reiterating that the tenure of embattled local government chairmen expired on Monday.
Addressing journalists after the security council meeting, Fubara said the discussion was to deliberate on strategies to contain the invasion of local government secretariats.
He cautioned the embattled council chairmen against harbouring hopes of returning to their positions.
Speaking further, Fubara alleged there was a plan by his opponents to arrest his supporters.
He pledged to personally protect them, saying anyone attempting such arrests would have to confront him first.
Among councils where skirmishes were recorded was the Port Harcourt Local Government secretariat when its embattled chairman, Allwell Ihunda attempted to enter the council secretariat.
Gunshots were fired when Allwell attempted to enter the secretariat while he was chased away by some youths when he tried to make his way to the premises.
Under canopies and in jubilant mood, outside the secretariat, some youths of Ijaw origin waved the Ijaw Youth Congress flags, while others held placards with solidarity messages for Fubara amid heavy security presence.
In various addresses, the Ijaw youths maintained that they were out to ensure that no chairman stayed after expiration of his three-year tenures.
In Obio/Akpor, a vehicle belonging to its outgone chairman, George Ariolu was vandalised.
Across the various councils, there was heavy security presence.
The embattled chairmen were holding on to the Local Government Amendment Bill passed into law and vetoed by the Martin Amaewhule led Assembly.
According to the embattled chairmen, the law empowered the Rivers State Assembly to extend the tenure of council chairpersons, their vice, and councillors where it is deemed impossible to hold elections before the end of their three-year tenure.
But a court nullified the amended law, prompting an appeal.
The appeal court is set to deliver a ruling on the matter on June 20, 2024.
Meanwhile, opposition federal lawmakers under the aegis of G60 on Tuesday rose from an emergency meeting in Abuja describing the attempt by 23 former Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State to forcefully retain their seats after the constitutional expiration of their three years tenure as a treasonable act.
The group led by Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere at a press conference held at the National Assembly, Abuja therefore called on the Rivers State Government to immediately prepare treason charges against the local government chairmen and their sponsors over the committal of the alleged act.
Ugochinyere who was flanked by Honourable Aliyu Mustapha (Kaduna), Hon Matthew Nwogu (Imo) and Honourable Midaila Usman(Bornu), accused the former LGA chairmen of breaching the provisions of Section 37 (1) of the Criminal Code Act, Section 39 of the Nigeria Police Act; Section 12 of the Criminal Procedure Code; Section 23 of the Criminal Procedure Code and Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution that frowns at anybody or group of persons that attempts to unlawfully occupy position of power in the country or forcefully attempt to take over government in any part of Nigeria.
He, therefore, called on the judiciary to remain vigilant in curbing the activities of persons desperate to take over institutions of governance in Rivers State or any part of the country.
The lawmakers frowned at what they referred to as attempted treason organized by the former local government chairman who wanted to use magistrates/ judges from neighbouring states to conduct a kangaroo swearing in ceremony around 5 am this morning despite the fact that their tenure expired since 17th of this month.
They applauded Governor Fubara and the citizenry in Rivers state for resisting the attempt by disgruntled elements to take over the administration of local government councils in breach of the law.
He said: “We salute the courage of the Rivers state People who came out boldly to protect the local government and foil the attempt to unlawfully seize the institution of governance by the former chairmen.
“This heroic action is in line with section 20 of the administration of the criminal justice Act that empowers citizens to arrest and foil any criminal act being committed in their presence.
“Section 39 of the Nigeria Police Act of 2020 states that ‘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’.
“Section 37 Criminal Code Act (1) Any person who levies war against the State, in order to intimidate or overawe the President or the Governor of a State, is guilty of treason, and is liable to the punishment of death.
“(2) Any person conspiring with any person, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against the State with intent to cause such levying of war as would be treason if committed by a citizen of Nigeria, is guilty of treason and is liable to the punishment of death:
“Provided that nothing in this section shall prevent any act from being treason which is so by the laws of England as in force in Nigeria.”
In the same vein, the federal lawmakers hailed Governor Fubara for being democratic enough to have allowed the former Chairmen to complete the three years tenure without any disruption despite the provocative acts carried against him in the last few months, describing the failed attempt by former LGA Chairmen to hang on to power despite their tenure expiration as a failed coup against democracy that must not go unpunished.
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