We’re being forced to implicate Fubara’s CoS in Rivers assembly arson - Suspects

We’re being forced to implicate Fubara’s CoS in Rivers assembly arson - Suspects

Four suspects arrested in connection with the fire that
razed the Rivers state house of assembly complex in 2023 say they are being pressured
to implicate Edison Ehie, chief of staff (CoS) to Siminalayi Fubara, the
suspended governor, in the incident.

 

At a press conference on Monday, one of the suspects, Chime
Ezebalike, spoke on behalf of the group, which also includes Kenneth Kpasa, MacPherson
Olumini, and Oladele Lukman.

 

Ezebalike alleged that a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) in recently contacted one of them, offering a monetary reward in
exchange for a false confession against Ehie.

 

“We address you today as citizens and residents of Rivers
state who feel a need to set records straight in the light of the happenings in
our state and who became victims due to no fault of ours,” Ezebalike said.

 

“Even after our ordeal and when we thought we could return to
normal life, only a few days ago, one of us was called by a PDP leader in
Obio/Akpor to come and meet with one of their leaders.

 

“Upon further prodding he said they were reaching out to us
to persuade us to rewrite our story in order to implicate Rt Hon Edison Ehie as
the sponsor or mastermind of the fire incident at the assembly complex as a
follow up to former head of service, George Nwaeke’s press briefing in Abuja.

 

“This has prompted us to speak out, as we do not want to be
part of any nefarious act especially after the torture we faced.”

 

Ezebalike also narrated how they were arrested around
December 5, 2023, before being released on January 16, 2024.

 

“All of this happened between December 5, 2023, and January
16, 2024. At some point, we were offered bribes in exchange for our freedom
even though it was clear that we had committed no offence that warranted our
being arrested and detained,” he said.

 

“Three of us — Chime, Kenneth, and Oladele are known
associates of Rt. Hon. Ehie Edison and Hon. Sokari Goodboy, while MacPherson
was an unfortunate victim of mere proximity.

 

“Our ordeal began with the arbitrary arrest of Oladele
Lukman on December 5, 2023.

 

 

“On December 16, Chime and MacPherson were violently
apprehended at Ogbakiri Junction along the East-West Road while returning from
a funeral in Ahoada.

 

“On January 5, 2024, Kenneth Kpasa was forcefully taken in
GRA, Port Harcourt, by a convoy of no fewer than three Hilux vans.

 

“We were blindfolded and taken to the Federal-Intelligence
Response Team (F-IRT) unit along the Eastern Bypass in Port Harcourt, under the
false pretense that the vehicle we were travelling in was stolen.

 

“It was later revealed that this was a ruse intended to
force us into implicating Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie in three serious allegations of
the murder of Supol Bako Angbashim, an assassination attempt on Hon. Martins
Amaewhule, and the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.”

 

 

BACKGROUND

 

In October 2023, fire razed a section of the Rivers state
house of assembly complex in Port Harcourt.

 

 

The fire incident occurred while Rivers lawmakers, loyal to
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory, were planning to
initiate impeachment proceedings against Fubara.

 

The feud between Fubara and Wike polarised the state
parliament and sparked a political crisis in the state.

 

 

Owing to the political crisis, President Bola Tinubu on
March 18 declared a state of emergency in the oil-rich state.

 

The president had suspended Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi
Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly for six months.

 

Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral, was appointed as the sole
administrator.

 

In March, George Nwaeke, a former head of Rivers civil
service, claimed that Fubara directed Ehie to burn down the Rivers house of
assembly.

 

He alleged that he was at the government house “when a bag
of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the
amount inside”.

Source: We’re being forced to implicate Fubara’s CoS in Rivers assembly arson - Suspects

 - NigerianEye
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