Soldiers Beat Up Local Govt Boss In Port Harcourt

The Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Paulinus Nsirim, whose task force boys are notorious for harassing motorists and property owners in the area was beaten by soldiers attached to the Rivers State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation at Rumuagholu, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State yesterday.

A witness told our correspondent that members of the environmental task force were carrying out demolition of illegal structures in the area when they were challenged by a loyalist of the Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman.

Soon there was an altercation between the soldiers and supporters of the local government chairman during which the latter were seriously beaten.

Nsirim, it was gathered, got wind of the scuffle and came to the scene to save his supporters. He reportedly directed one of his supporters to record the scene on camera. This infuriated the soldiers who pounced on him.

When Nsirim was contacted on the attack, he merely said: ”Well, that is one those things public officers go through when trying to protect lives and property.”

When contacted, Major A. M Dikko of the Army Public Relations Office at the 2 Army Brigade Headquarters, Port Harcourt, said he was not aware of the incident.

— Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt