PORT HARCOURT (Sundiata Post) – The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over what it called “the latest string of gruesome politically-motivated killings targeted at APC members in Rivers State in the lead-up to the March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections into the National Assembly and State House of Assembly.”
In a statement signed on Wednesday by Chief Segun Oni, acting national chairman of the party, the APC said “Rivers State has been transformed into a killing field, with APC members being murdered on a daily basis. APC members in Rivers State are fast becoming endangered species.
“On Saturday night March 5, 2016, masked gunmen first shot dead Franklin Obi, the APC ward chairman in Omoku, headquarters of Ogab/Egbema/Ndoni council and then beheaded him. The gunmen went ahead and killed his wife and 18-year-old son, Bestman.
“The APC NWC also received reports that four APC members were recently killed in Obibi, Etche Local Government Areas in Rivers State. Gabriel Cookey was clubbed to death in Opobo, Opobo/Nkoro councils. In the last two weeks, over 30 APC members have been killed in different parts of the state.
“On Monday, March 7, 2016 Ofinjite Amachree, an APC stalwart in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State was beaten up and thereafter, set ablaze in continuation of the latest string of politically-motivated killings targeted at APC members in Rivers State.
“On February 3, 2016, the APC National Secretariat drew the attention of security agencies and other relevant bodies to dangerous threats by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike in the lead-up to the March 19, 2016 Rivers State rerun elections.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike in a brazen show of force told officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prepare their will before coming to conduct the elections in Rivers state.
“The APC National Secretariat also reported threats issued by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike to civil servants in the state to either support and work for the People Democratic Party (PDP) or face sack. The plot also include intimidation of eligible voters, INEC officials and security operatives deployed to ensure peaceful, free and credible rerun elections in Rivers State.
“The APC NWC believes that the threats are already being carried out. The Police and other security agencies must ensure that the murderers and their sponsors are brought to book and must face the full wrath of the law.
“The security situation in Rivers State is clearly an affront on the Federal Government’s power to protect life and property within its territory.
“The APC NWC calls on the Police and other security agencies to as a matter of urgency, rise up to stem the tide of politically-motivated killings and other forms of violence in Rivers State. The politically-motivated killings in Rivers State is a real emergency that should not be treated with kid gloves. The situation is distressing, tragic and a huge source of worry to the party.
“The APC NWC hereby calls on security agencies to be on high alert over the dangerous threats and actions by Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and by extension the PDP in the lead-up to the Rivers re-run election.”
However, in response, the Rivers State Government described the APC statement as provocative and irresponsible.
In a statement issued by the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr Austin Tam-George, the State Government denied any involvement in the killings, saying what happened was cult-related violence that has claimed some lives in certain sections of the state.
Dr Tam-George said the APC’s allegations were part of a plan to incite the military and other security forces against the people of Rivers State. “It is a crude plan to militarise the state and use the security forces to steal the results of the forthcoming re-run election”, the commissioner said.
He said investigations by the Rivers State police command have since revealed that the recent deaths arose from retributive attacks launched by rival cult gangs fighting for supremacy. The police have since arrested some key culprits who have made useful statements, the commissioner said.
“The attempt by the APC to appropriate every dead person in River State as their member might mean that the APC is in fact the sponsor of these satanic cult clashes, all in an attempt to destabilise the Wike administration,” the commissioner said.