Wike Orders Security Clamp Down On Violent Crimes

L-R: Rivers State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyagiri, Wife of Rivers State Governor, Justice Suzzette Nyesom-Wike and wife of Rivers State Deputy Speaker, Mrs Tracy Uwom, at the Rivers Women Stakeholders Meeting in Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday.

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has directed security agencies to clampdown on cult activities and violent crimes in four local government areas of the state.
The four local government areas include Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West, recently enmeshed in violent cult-related clashes and deaths.
The governor also announced the suspension of the caretaker committee chairmen of Abua/Odual, Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas for failing to mobilize stakeholders in their areas to attend the special security town hall meeting for Orashi region.
Addressing thousands of  Rivers people in Omoku during a special security town hall meeting, Wike  said  the meeting, which had in attendance, security service commanders and the Commissioner for Police, was aimed at restoring peace to Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni, Abua/Odual,  Ahoada East and Ahoada West local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the insecurity in the four local government areas  had nothing to do with politics, pointing out that it was a move to stem the tide of cult-related killings in ONELGA,  kidnapping, armed robbery and communal clashes in the other three local government areas.
Wike said,  henceforth,  security  agencies  have been mandated to take appropriate actions against  those who shield cultists, kidnappers and armed robbers in the four local government areas.
According to him, nobody will be allowed to stop the development programmes of the state government on the account  of  insecurity.
He charged traditional, political  and  religious  leaders to work with the  state government  and security agencies to identify the criminals for the purpose of  the restoration of peace.
He said: “Nobody is happy. I am not happy. The service commanders are not happy. These cultists and criminals are not from Lagos, Kaduna or Ebonyi.  They are indigenes of these communities and the people know them. Therefore, everyone must cooperate with the security agencies to resolve these security challenges.”
The governor said that the operation of commercial motorcyclists in the  four local government areas remains banned between 5pm and 8am daily.
Wike said: “We must put an end to the ugly situation in these four local government areas.  Enough is enough.  We cannot allow these criminals to kill innocent people again”.
In his address, Caretaker Committee Chairman, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, Mr Isaac Umejuru, assured Wike and security agencies of the cooperation of the people to ensure that peace returns to the communities.
Earlier, Wike had visited the Eze-Oba of Ogbaland, Sir Chukwumela Nnam Obi  to seek the support of traditional rulers  in the fight against insecurity in the affected communities.
The Eze-Oba of Ogbaland, prayed God to grant the security agencies the capacity to  apprehend the perpetrators of violence  in  the area.