Rivers Lawmaker Denies Assassination Plot

A member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Legborsi Nwidadah, has in Port Harcourt reacted to a newspaper story, alleging that he was plotting to assassinate a purported youth leader in Ogoniland, describing the publication as false, baseless, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear his image.

Hon Nwidadah, representing Khana Constituency 1 in the state Assembly, who made the reaction at a press briefing yesterday categorically said that at no time did he plot to assassinate anyone for whatever reason as it was not in his character as a Christian and God-fearing representative of his people to be associated with such nefarious act, noting that life belongs to God, as it was  sacrosanct, and should be respected.

A Port Harcourt-based local tabloid (named witheld) had alleged in the front page of its current edition that Hon Nwidadah had plotted to assassinate one Mr Sunny Bekenwah, described as a youth leader from his native Kpean community over his alleged 2015 political ambition.

Reacting to the story, Hon Nwidadah described the said Mr Bekenwah as his cousin, with whom he had disagreement over ‘ his criminal and cult related activities in Kpean that had led to his arrest and detention previously, alleging that the purported youth leader was currently standing trial over the same criminal activities in a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court.

Nwidadah expressed surprise that his junior cousin (Bekenwah) could go to the extent of accusing him falsely of a plot to assassinate him because he had always stood against his criminal activities in and around Kpean community, and wondered why the newspaper did not get his own side of the story before publishing the malicious and unfounded story.

Nwidadah advised the public to disregard the story, explaining that “the problem I have with Sunny is that I have always advised him against his involvement in criminal activities, and he has always ignored my advice.

So, when his excesses landed him in court, where he is currently standing trial, he came to my house with his wife and asked for my intervention, to stall the court’s proceedings but I washed off my hands and told him point blank that since he would not heed my advice, the law should take its course. This is my offence, the bone of contention is that I refused to assist him in his court case.”

Justus Awaji