The Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said that the six police officers attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, were sacked without fair hearing, adding that it was unethical and a slap on the rule of law.
PDP stated that the officers were punished for defending their oath of office and job ethics by refusing to carry out the hatchet plans.
The party, while describing the offence adduced against the officers as mere concoction and ruse, added that it is another valid pointer to the pre-election rigging plans and the assassination attempt on Wike by the APC led administration before the December 10, 2016 rerun elections in Rivers State.
Accusing the police of bias, Makarfi’s PDP alleged that that the leader of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Akin Fakorede, who was seen on television with his men openly hijacking election materials and intimidating voters and INEC officials during the rerun elections, was working for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The police had last Friday announced the dismissal of six police officers attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for disobedience.
But according to a statement by the spokesman of the party, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, “The hurried dismissal of these police men is another valid pointer to the pre-election rigging plans and the assassination attempt on Governor Wike by the APC-led administration before the December 10, 2016 rerun elections in Rivers State.
“It will be recalled that the Nigeria Police Force withdrew over 70 per cent of its personnel deployed to Rivers State Government House and the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the governor few days to the elections.
“It is obvious by this latest action that the APC-led administration after the failed assassination attempt on Governor Wike, decided to punish the 6 police officers who defended their oath of office and job ethics by refusing to carry out the hatchet plans.
“The accusation of ‘professional misconduct’ levelled against the officers who were only performing their constitutional duties by the police hierarchy is a slap on the rule of law, ethical responsibility of police duties and the tenets of democratic values. This is unfair and highly condemnable as the accused officers were not even allowed to defend themselves before they were summarily dismissed which is against basic human rights. Change administration indeed!
“This is unacceptable and the dismissed officers should be reinstated immediately in the interest of professionalism, justice, equity, and fair play. This call for their immediate re-instatement is equally in the interest of the Nigerian Police to save the bartered image of the force.
“Otherwise, this action will be further understood to mean that the Police surely has something to hide but instead played to the gallery with this contraption as a cover up to their hidden agenda and the atrocities committed by some of its men during the rerun elections.
“For instance, it is on record that the leader of the police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State, Akin Fakorede was seen on television with his men openly hijacking election materials and intimidating voters and INEC officials during the rerun elections.
“It is instructive to note that the PDP, other well-meaning Nigerians and members of the international community are looking forward to the actions of the ruling party in redressing this brazen act of unprofessionalism, electoral malpractices and other misdemeanor of the Police Force and some other security agencies in the Rivers State elections of December 10, 2016.
“To this end, we do hope and believe that the police hierarchy will take our advise seriously and reinstate the sacked officers to their various position and duty post and immediately put to trial Fakorede and his men seen committing electoral fraud in Rivers State,” the party added.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has described the dismissal of six police officers attached to Governor Nyesom Wike as the height of injustice.
A statement by the Chairman of PDP in the state, Bro. Felix Obuah said the humiliation of the six police officers, which was beamed on national television, clearly showed that the police authorities acted the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who were not favored by the outcome of the just concluded Rivers re-run election on December 10, 2016.
Obuah, in the statement which was signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, further berated the police for allowing itself to be used in what he called a show of shame.
The PDP accused the inspector-general of police of insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians over his remark that the dismissed police officers were engaged in professional misconduct, arguing that the dismissed police officers were statutorily mandated to protect Governor Wike who is the chief security officer of the state.
Obuah further challenged the inspector-general of police to explain to Nigerians the status of the legion of policemen, SARS and Army officers who accompanied Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Magnus Abe, Barry Mpigi, Derrick Mene and other APC chieftains, including Akin Fakorede and other policemen caught on video at collation centers.
He argued that the IG’s statement in justifying his sacking of the six police officers does not stand the test of reason, wondering why those policemen, soldiers and SARS personnel who accompanied Amaechi and Peterside to the same Port Harcourt City Local Government Secretariat have not been sacked and tried for professional misconduct.
The PDP lamented that these reckless actions by the police were the product of the politics of desperation as institutionalized by the APC, warning that these spate of brigandage against Nigerians could plunge the country into chaos and ruin the nascent democracy, if not checked.