The Rivers State Government has declared Carveton Helicopters a persona non-grata in the state.
In a state broadcast, yesterday, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, directed local government council chairmen to close the offices of Carveton Helicopters across the state.
He said: “We appreciate the need to protect business interests and operations in the state and we will do whatever that is required to ensure that no business is unduly affected by the measures we have taken to combat the Coronavirus.
“However, we shall not welcome businesses or companies that value their business activities or profit more than or in clear disregard of the lives and health of our people.
“By its actions, Calverton Helicopters have clearly shown that of Rivers people lives do not matter to it. It is an enemy of Rivers people and is hereby declared persona non-grata in Rivers State.
“With this declaration, Caverton Helicopters can only choose to operate in any part of Rivers State at its own risk as local government chairmen have been directed to close their offices and prevent their operations.”
Wike said that the highly insensitive and provocative actions of Caverton Helicopters took place in the midst of credible intelligence reports about plans by enemies of the state to traffic carriers of the dreaded Coronavirus into the state.
He said: “Their morbid intention is to create panic by pushing up the infection rate and rubbish the robust measures we have since put in place to cut off the spread of the virus and keep our state and our citizens safe and secure from the ravaging pandemic.
“As expected, and required by our laws, the crew and the passengers on board that ill-fated helicopter were promptly arrested by the law enforcement personnel and are being prosecuted before our courts in line with our COVID-19 Declarations and Containment Orders.
“Caverton Helicopters claimed to have gotten permits from some federal agencies to fly passengers into the state, which never bordered to take the state government into confidence in issuing such permits in violation of our laws and containment orders.
“While federal agencies reserve the right to issue flight permits to airline operators to fly into Rivers State, we insist that the state government must equally be informed and taken into confidence in the process.
“This is the only way to avoid suspicion, conflicts of interests and unnecessary bickering between the state and federal governments in our collective efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the country.”
Wike added: “Let me reiterate that for us, COVID-19 in Rivers State is a matter of life and death, and we will never succumb to any blackmail from any person, institution or authority in our determination to protect our citizens and our state from the spread of this deadly virus.
“Since we triggered the law on Caverton Helicopters, we have seen and read all sorts of hilarious and frivolous comments, particularly on social media, questioning the propriety of our actions against the carrier and its passengers.
“At this time and under the present situation, nothing; I repeat; nothing, is more important to us than to safeguard the lives and wellbeing of our citizens no matter the cost, and we shall spare no efforts to achieve this singular most fundamental objective of our government.”
The Rivers State governor said that the action of Caverton Helicopters when they conveyed
passengers of doubtful Coronavirus status into the state was in flagrant violation of the state government’s total restriction on flights into Port Harcourt.
“We have sworn to protect the lives and advance the wellbeing our people, and nothing can stop us from taking all necessary steps to prevent or stop any person, action or activities that would endanger the lives of our citizens,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Port Harcourt Chief Magistrates’ Court No. 11 presided over by Chief Magistrate D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq has ordered the remand of 10 passengers who flew into the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, onboard the Twin-Otter Caverton Helicopters, last Tuesday, in contravention of Paragraph 8 of the Executive Order RVSG-01 2020.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge preferred against them by the state, were ordered to be remanded at any government facility to enable medical personnel from the state carry out test to determine their Coronavirus (COVID-19) status.
The prosecution team was led by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State, Prof Zacchaeus Adangor.
The 10 passengers were arraigned via charge number: PMC/533C/2020 .
The 10 defendants include, Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’ aged 39yrs; Peter Michael ‘m’ aged 43yrs; Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’ aged 35yrs; Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’ aged 43yrs; Nsikan Pius ‘m’ aged 38yrs; Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’ aged 27yrs; Udoh Hagan ‘m’ aged 28yrs; Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’ aged 41yrs; Goddy Chukwu ‘m’ aged 42yrs; and Umezurike Chijioke ‘m’ aged 43yrs.
They were arrested at the Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, after the Rivers State Police Command received intelligence on their illegal flight into the state.
They were arraigned on a four-count charge.
The first charge reads, “That you Nwoqu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’, Ekperewechi Oququo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan, Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukwu ‘m’ and Umezurike Chijioke ‘m’, being passengers on board the Twin-Otter, Caverton Helicopters on the 7″ day of April, 2020 at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit misdemeanour to wit: Disobedience to lawful order and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 517 A of the Criminal Code Cap: 37, Vol. 11 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.”
The second count reads, “That you Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’, Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’, Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukwu ‘m’ and Umezurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District, did intentionally disobey the lawful order issued by the governor of Rivers State as contained in Paragraph 8 of the Executive Order RVSG – 01 2020 made Pursuant to Sections 2, 4 and 8 of Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Regulation 11 of the Quarantine (Corona Virus (Covid-19) and other Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 2020 by transiting into Port Harcourt after disembarking from Twin-Otter Caverton Helicopters at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 5 of the Quarantine Act Cap. Q2 LFN, 2004″.
The third count read, “Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’, Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’, Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukwu ‘m’ and Umezurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by disembarking from Twin-Otter Caverton Helicopters at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt and transiting into Port Harcourt and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 249(d) of the Criminal Code Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999″.
The fourth count reads, “Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajaqba Theayin ‘m’, Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’, Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukwu ‘m’ and Umezurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District did intentionally disobey the order issued by the governor of Rivers State on restrict within the state contrary to Paragraph 8 the Executive Order RVSG – 01 2020 and an offence punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code Laws”.
The officer-in-charge, Legal/Prosecutions of the Rivers State Police Command, SP Gladys Imegu, was part of the prosecution.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Magistrate D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq remanded the pilot and co-pilot of Twin-Otter Caverton Helicopters, Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari in prison custody for the illegal flight.