By NWADIKE UGOCHUKWU, Port Harcourt
AHEAD of the re-run National and State Assemblies elections in designated constituencies in Rivers State, three local government areas have come under politically motivated vicious attacks which have left in their trails, tales of deaths, bloodbath, destruction of property and open intimidation.
The joint Army/Police invasions have continued in three local governments which include Gokana, Asari-Toru and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (LGA). One recurring decimal in these deadly invasions is that one Major Mustapha features in all attacks. Major Mustapha, a Pro-APC military officer, was the Rivers State APC star witness during the hearing of election petitions in Abuja.
At Asari-Toru Local Government Area, on January 6, 2016, Major Mustapha and his team of dare-devil soldiers and mobile policemen invaded the residence of the Caretaker Council Chairman, Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich, destroyed his homes and valuables before killing about five youths. They also abducted 50 youths and women who were taken to Port Harcourt.
The same scenario played out in Bua Yeghe in Gokana Local Government Area where Major Mustapha and his illegal politically motivated squad attacked the home of Chief Solomon Ndigbara, a former Niger Delta activist. They burnt his home, before abducting his wife and 70 other youths. The Major Mustapha squad also attacked the home of Chief Ndigbara in Port Harcourt, damaging property in his home.
On January 13, 2016, soldiers and mobile policemen were at ONELGA where they unleashed mayhem on lives and property of their victims . The residents of the area are still counting their losses.
It is imperative to point out that in these three local government areas where Major Mustapha and other illegal security operatives struck, they were accompanied by known APC political thugs and militants who acted as identification informants. These APC agents who were included in these illegal operations were kited with security uniforms. Despite these security costumes, they were still identified by locals.
This level of political desperation is unknown to the nation’s democratic history. No authority had in the past handed security platforms to political thugs and associates to unleash untold mayhem and deaths on law abiding citizens.
It is widely believed in the state that the military invasion and rampage towards intimidation and destruction in the local communities will not improve the lack of political fortune of APC in Rivers. If anything, it has further depleted the party’s miserable five per cent acceptance. The PDP had alleged that the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and leader of APC, Chibuike Amaechi, squandered N3 trillion that accrued to the state under his watch, leaving the people impoverished and angry. “That unconscionable act will not be forgotten simply because APC has authorised Major Mustapha to kill innocent people,” PDP had said.
“Those who sent Major Mustapha must be told that there is no APC in Rivers State. The party thrives on falsehood and mismanagement of resources. The Rivers people are enjoying good governance and first class performance under Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. They have, therefore, committed themselves to the PDP,” the party said.
Every well meaning Nigerian is invited to take note of this unprecedented violence being visited on innocent Rivers people by the military and the Police under the ungodly guidance of the Rivers State APC, PDP stated. The party also invited National Human Rights Commission to also play its role at this critical time.
The affected local government areas have on their own conducted media tours of the invaded communities. The civil society is in the know of the illegal invasions of the unarmed communities. It was admonished that no amount of military/Police intimidation can promote APC in the state.