- On Monday, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector general of police (IGP), ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel from the 23 LGA secretariats in Rivers.
- Shortly afterwards, suspected hoodlums invaded a slew of Rivers LGA secretariats to wreak havoc and prevent newly elected council officials from resuming duties.
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has accused Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, for the cause of mayhem that was recorded in the state.
Wike was reacting to the destruction caused by hoodlum in state in the aftermath of the local government elections.
Arsonists have torched three LGA secretariats in Rivers at the last count, with anarchy the order of the day in the oil rich state for days on end.
Speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, on Monday, Wike said the governor was wrong to go ahead with the local government election.
“No person who believes in peace and stability of any nation will say he supports violence, will say he wants to support destruction, will say he doesn’t want people to live in harmony,” Wike said.
“But what’s important is that when there’s violence, when there’s instability, it’s for you to ask questions: what has led to the violence, what has led to the instability, what has led to destruction?
“I was a governor and I have always obeyed the rule of law. You heard the governor say the state is turning into anarchy. You must respect the rule of law, the judgement of the court. It doesn’t matter how you see that judgement. The moment you don’t obey judgement, you’re inviting anarchy and violence.
“A governor came out on national television and said he won’t obey court judgement. He went as far as to say he doesn’t need police and protection of lives and property.
“When someone says he doesn’t need police and protection of lives and property, he’s inviting anarchy. The governor is the architect of the violence.”
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