No fewer than five persons were feared dead yesterday, following gunfire at different local government council secretariats in Rivers State by thugs.
Newly sworn-in chairmen of some of the LGAs were also chased out of their offices by the marauding thugs.
This came as President Bola Tinubu directed the police to provide security to the LG officials, restore and maintain peace, law and order immediately.
The president also instructed law enforcement agencies to bring the situation under control, emphasising the need to ensure the security of public institutions.
Although the Police in the state are yet to issue any statement on the attacks by the thugs, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi said it would not engage in a media tussle with Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the political crisis in the state.
The continued shootings in some of the LG secretariats caused fear and panic in the communities they are located.
At noon, yesterday, no fewer than five persons had been reportedly killed, while four of the LG secretariats were set ablaze.
It was gathered that when the new LG chairmen, who were sworn in on Sunday, arrived at the council secretariats, they met many youths opposed to their election at the LGA headquarters.
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Vanguard learned that some of the youths stationed at the council secretariats claimed they were there to clean up the premises for the former council chairmen whose tenure had elapsed.
It was also gathered that shooting started in the process and many people sustained bullet wounds, while about five reportedly died.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that one person was gunned down at Khana LGA, three at Oyibo LGA, while one was reportedly killed at Ahoada-East LGA.
4 LGA offices set on fire
As the attacks continued, four council secretariats, including Eleme, Emohua, Ikwerre and Etche, were set ablaze.
It was gathered that thugs stormed the Eleme council secretariat at about 11 a.m., and set parts of it on fire, insisting the newly sworn-in chairman would not access the office.
Sources told Vanguard that the thugs also set ablaze the Ikwerre council secretariat at Isiokpo, claiming that last Saturday’s LGA election in the state was illegal.
At Emohua LGA, some youths were said to have attacked the secretariat immediately the new chairman, David Omereji, swore in his deputy, Patient Ebere, and 14 councillors.
The thugs were said to have allegedly thrown several explosives, believed to be dynamite into the building, which reportedly shattered many properties in the premises.
Tinubu directs Police to provide security to Rivers LG officers
In his immediate reaction to the crisis yesterday, President Bola Tinubu in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said government facilities built with public funds must be safeguarded from vandalism.
He stressed that self-help has no place in a democratic system, especially after 25 years of continuous democracy.
According to President Tinubu, the judiciary can settle all political disputes, and the outcome of this election should be no exception.
The statement read: ‘’The President called on Governor Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law.
“In response to recent tensions, following last Saturday’s LG elections, the President expressed deep concern over reports of arson and explosions in the state.
“He urged all political actors to de-escalate the situation and discourage their supporters from engaging in violence or destructive actions.”
Burning of council facilities, act of irresponsibility – Fubara
Reacting to the violence yesterday, Governor Siminalayi Fubara admonished Rivers people to carry out their political business with all sense of responsibility.
He also stated that the business of politics should not degenerate to the level of killings and destruction of government facilities built with taxpayers’ money.
Fubara spoke when he visited Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat, Isiokpo, to see the extent of damage, after the council office was set ablaze by political thugs, shortly on arrival from Akwa Ibom State where he joined South-South governors and members of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, to sympathise with his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Umo Eno, over the death of his wife, Pastor Patience.
He expressed sadness over the incident at the council, questioning the rationale behind the destruction of the secretariat.
He said: “I am just coming in from Akwa Ibom where the governors of the South-South and also the Nigerian Governors’ Forum went to pay condolence to our brother, the governor of Akwa Ibom, who lost his wife.
“So, I said it would be proper to come and see for myself the incident that took place in Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat.
“I feel very sad seeing what has just happened in this council. I want to say this to the entire Rivers State: If you are called upon, play your politics with a sense of responsibility. We don’t need to kill ourselves. My time will come, and I will leave; do I need to burn the Government House?
“This council secretariat was built by the immediate past chairman, and for me, we know the history of this council, how he sought funds, and how it was executed. This is supposed to be a legacy project for him that whoever is going to come after now will continue to remember that at a certain time, certain persons built this for the LGA. But, look at what we are seeing here today. Must we go low in politics?”
Governor Fubara, who recalled the conduct of the just-concluded council polls, the swearing-in of council chairmen and the expected assumption of office today (yesterday), despite earlier boasts and threats not to allow the chairmen access to the various secretariats, expressed disappointment that sponsored agents and enemies of the state used the opportunity of the withdrawal of police to unleash terror on the councils.
He expressed dismay that funds that would have been deployed to develop the councils would now be used to rehabilitate the councils to the detriment of the people, advising Rivers people to always act responsibly in all they did, irrespective of the level of provocation.
“There was an election on Saturday, the new council chairmen were inaugurated yesterday (Sunday). We are aware of the boast that they would not be allowed to access the secretariats. And we were happy in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) when the Inspector-General of Police directed his men to vacate the premises for easy access for the newly-elected officers to resume office. Immediately, they took advantage of that space to destroy government facilities.
“Who is the loser? The new council chairmen that are coming in, the funds that would be applied to other things would now be used to fix this place. Are we not acting as irresponsible people? ‘’This is an act of irresponsibility! Even if one advises you to go and destroy a government facility, are you not supposed to think twice?
“We all know where this is coming from, that is the truth. Everybody knows that this is not from my supporters. But, I leave all to the security agencies to do a thorough work, and let us know the people that are behind this assault on the institutions of democracy,’’ the governor said.
Fubara to Wike: You can’t win all fights
Also in an interview with Channels Television last night, Fubara asked his predecessor to let go of his quest to control the state’s political affairs, adding that there was no need to burn down the state.
He said: “I will tell him (Wike) that there is going to be a point that he needs to let go. We need peace in this state. You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights at all times. You just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers State and the love he (Wike) has always professed for the state. We don’t need to burn down the state. Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who is going to come next?”
The governor said the adoption of Action Peoples Party, APP, for the last election by his loyalists was not a matter of political structure but a move to meet the deadline for the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling on LGA autonomy.
He noted that said there was no way his candidates would have contested the election under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, due to the “drama” in the party.
“After the ruling of the Supreme Court (on LGA autonomy), we (governors) had an understanding with Mr President and he gave us a window of 90 days to comply. The 90-day deadline expires on October 31. I needed to do something. There is no way that an election would have been conducted in my party, considering the drama surrounding it.
“So, I opted for something safer to secure the civil servants that are working in the LGAs to ensure we have administrative officers who would manage the affairs of the council.”
