‘How Army, SARS Hijacked Rivers Polls’

The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has accused the Nigerian Army and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police of killing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agents, hijacking electoral materials and working to deliver a particular candidate in Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

The governor added that no matter the use of the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel by the APC, Rivers State will never be conquered.

Wike said this while reacting to the mass shootings by the Nigerian Army and the Police in Khana, Gokana, Akuku-Toru and Etche Local Government Areas on Election Day.

The governor said that the security agencies were deployed to the state to manipulate the result of the polls.

He said that true to the claim by the APC governors and leaders that they will use federal might against the Rivers people, the military have been used to rig rerun elections in parts of the state.

The governor said that in Khana Local Government Area election materials for the entire local government area were hijacked by the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel.

He added that in Gokana Local Government Area, soldiers hijacked election materials for Wards 2 and 3 in Bodo City where the military also killed two persons in the process of fleeing with the materials.

Wike said that out of the 19 wards of Etche Local Government Area, soldiers and SARS personnel hijacked election materials for four wards.

He noted that an Etche APC chieftain, Charles Anyanwu, has been arrested with two AK-47 rifles, expressing fears that the security agencies may release him.

The governor noted that the unfortunate onslaught by the military and SARS personnel started in the night of Friday, when the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi backed by a battalion of soldiers and over 20 SARS personnel attempted to hijack materials from the Isiokpo INEC headquarters, but was resisted by youth.

He thanked God that there was no loss of lives on Friday night at Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area.

Wike noted that in Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area, soldiers hijacked election materials and took same to the home of Dr Sam Sam Jaja of APC.

He said: “I anticipated it. I tried to let the world to know that these are the plans of the security agencies.

“In my political career, I have never experienced this kind of invasion by security agencies. What causes violence is when you give certain persons undue advantage.

“Be assured that we are resisting it, it may take our lives, but we will resist to the last. That is what is expected, when you are fighting for freedom. You must make sacrifices.

“It is unfortunate that we are congratulating the opposition for winning in Ghana, but here the military are directly involved in rigging and hijacking materials.”

The governor added: “They say that they want to give Rivers State governor problems, but you are not giving Rivers State Governor problems, you are giving Nigeria problems”.

He noted that he has informed a national commissioner of INEC and the resident electoral commissioner on the problems in Khana Local Government Area and Gokana LGA, and he was assured that action would be taken.