'My crime is that I support Atiku' - Sen. Maeba speaks on attack on his residence

Senator Lee Maeba (left) conducting Dr. Abiye Sekibo, former Minister of Transportation, also an ally of Atiku Abubakar round his vandalised cars.

Senator Lee Maeba (left) conducting Dr. Abiye Sekibo, former Minister of Transportation, also an ally of Atiku Abubakar round his vandalised cars.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

People suspected to be political thugs on Thursday invaded the private invaded the residence of Senator Lee Maeba, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Presidential Campaign Council in the GRA, Phase 3 axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Maeba claimed he received a phone call that some people sent to attack him were on the way to his house before the arrival of the hoodlums.

“Not long after the phone call, the hoodlums shot sporadically at my gate, forcefully entered my residence and willfully destroyed my cars. My brother was beaten and sustained injuries which he is nursing at a hospital”, Maeba said about the attack in an online video.

It was learnt that a team of security operatives consisting of operatives of Department of State Services, DSS and Policemen visited Maeba’s residence after the attack.  

Maeba attributed the attack to his alliance with Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of PDP.

One of the vehicles vandalised in Sen. Maeba's residence
One of the vehicles vandalised in Sen. Maeba’s residence

However, in a swift reaction to the incident, the Rivers State Government called on security agencies to conduct discreet and thorough investigation into incident.

In press statement, Chris Finebone, Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications said, “The Rivers State Government has seen isolated reports suggesting that some persons are purportedly being physically molested for political reasons. 

“Security agencies must exercise the highest level of diligence, discreetness and carefulness in their work to sift the wheat from the chaff in order to arrive at a credible conclusion.

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“It is not strange to find politicians staging high level melodrama to either cover up their tracks or muddle up the waters to achieve a preconceived narrative aimed at hoodwinking the public for political reasons especially at a time like this.

“Today, a report by former Senator Lee Maeba surfaced on social media that he got a call from a young man. And the caller purportedly, in his own words said, “that they have instructions from either government or some quarters to attack my house.” 

“This makes it obvious that Senator Maeba should help security agencies in unraveling the purported attack on his house and those behind it. It is not enough to blame such an attack on ‘either government or some quarters.’ He should try and remember exactly whom the caller said sent him (the caller).

Finebone assured that the state government working with security agencies, will continue to render all possible assistance for security agencies to ensure safety of life and property in Rivers State at all times.

One of the vehicles vandalised in Sen. Maeba's residence
One of the vehicles vandalised in Sen. Maeba’s residence

Meanwhile, the Tonye Cole Solidarity Movement in Khana Local Government Area has condemned attack meted on Sen.Lee Maeba, describing it as a high level of political rascality that is in operation in the state.

“This is happening less than 24hrs after Senator Lee Maeba and other top Rivers politicians were spotted in pictures with Rivers APC Governorship candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole in a funeral service hosted at the EUI event centre, GRA Port Harcourt.

“Not long after the “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike ordered the immediate sealing of EUI event centre, a property allegedly owned by a renowned Igbo Businessman, Chief Arthur Eze, fearing that the opposition in Rivers State are aligning against his third term agenda,” the group said while calling on security agencies to carry out a proper investigation of the incident in a statement signed by one Barikui Holiness Nwikpa, the Publicity Secretary of Tonye Cole Solidarity Movement.

“We therefore call on all true Rivers People to come out en masse with their PVC, to vote against this tyranny in Rivers state in order bring smooth and respectable administration,” he added.

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