Poll: Army plans to arrest some Rivers LG Chairmen – Wike

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has again claimed that the General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has planned the arrest of 10 Local Government Council Chairmen in the state in a bid to scuttle the elections in the state.

Addressing journalists on Thursday, Governor Wike alleged that the intention of the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army is to generate insecurity and violence through undue provocation of the people.

Wike added that the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army has also penciled down 182 persons who would be arrested across the 23 Local Government Areas. He said majority are PDP members.

Wike said: “The GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham has stated that he will arrest the Chairman of Ikwerre, Abua/Odual, Mayor of Port Harcourt, Chairman of Bonny and Degema Local Government Area.

“Other Chairmen to be arrested by the GOC include, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Gokana, Khana and Eleme Local Government Areas”.

The governor noted: “What offence have these council chairmen committed to warrant this illegal intimidation? If they committed any offences, were these offences committed within the election period? Why were they noted arrested before now.

“These are the actions that will lead to crisis . Allow the people to vote freely and their votes must count. Rivers people must be allowed to vote”.

He said that Rivers State is for Rivers people and security agencies will not be allowed to waste the lives of the people in the name of elections.

“If Major General Jamil Sarham has been promised the post of the Chief of Army Staff, it will not be at the expense of the lives of our people”, he said.

Governor Wike expressed concern that the security agencies were misinterpreting the Presidential directive on ballot box snatching. He said that the Nigerian Army and the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad had seen the directive as a leeway to kill innocent people, even when the Army and Police are the real culprits.

The governor regretted that police and army fake uniforms were being produced for the purpose of disrupting the elections on Saturday by APC leaders.

He noted that despite the directives by heads of national security agencies, the situation in Rivers State is different as the GOC 6 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad Commander, Akin Fakorede are engaged in illegal activities during the elections.

Our Correspondent could not however verify this claims and allegations against the GOC 6 Division of Nigerian Army and Commander of SARS by Governor Wike.

However, the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army had alerted the public that credible intelligence available to it had uncovered an unholy plan by some political actors within its Area of Responsibility (AOR) to arm and sponsor miscreants in addition to using military-like fatigue dress for deception to cause pandemonium at polling stations for their political gain.