The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has accused the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police of being behind incidences of armed robbery and kidnappings perpetrated in the state.
Wike made the allegation, last Wednesday, at a press briefing held in Government House, Port Harcourt.
He alleged that the SARS Commander in the state, Akin Fakorede was planted to sabotage the security effort of the state government to create atmosphere of fear and scare investors.
“Most of the kidnappings and armed robberies taking place in this state are done by men of SARS. They use exhibit vehicles to operate.
“As the chief security officer of the state, you complain, but they choose to play politics with crime”, he said.
He lamented that in spite of the huge amount of money which his administration has committed in support of security agencies to achieve total security in the state, operatives of SARS continue to sabotage this effort so that people might think that the administration was not doing enough.
Wike explained that three officers of SARS, last Monday, kidnapped a man at Orasi and demanded N5million ransom.
He said when relations of the kidnapped victim contacted the IGP’s Special Squad, and they swung into action, it was discovered that the kidnappers had taken their victim, identified as Azumana Ifeanyi to Fidelity Bank’s ATM to withdraw the ransom.
The governor showed a copy of the signal with reference number DTO: 121030/09/2017 – INGENPOL-X-PHQ ABUJA TO INGENPOL SEC ABUJA, which noted that the squad got a distress call by  one  Ifeanyi and immediately swung into action.
According to the signal, the IGP’s Special Squad met three SARS operatives in an armed robbery operation and following a gun battle that ensued; one of the suspected robbers was gunned down while two escaped.
He expressed surprise that those involved in the crime were officers of SARS.
“I felt we must let the public know that we are doing our best to make this state safe. If this did not happen, we wouldn’t have known that SARS people are behind these crimes,” Wike noted.
He lamented that no state in the country spends the kind of money he spends monthly in the state on security.
“I don’t see any state that spends the kind of money we spend here monthly in terms of security. I beat my chest to say that I don’t see any state.
“Just recently, I gave four new Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs); each costing not less than N200million. Two days ago, I gave another 12 Hilux vans to make sure Port Harcourt-Owerri Road and East-West Road where they say kidnappers intercept people and take the victims away” is safe he stated.
The governor identified one of the SARS officers in the crime who was killed to be one in the team that invaded the Collation Centre during the Rivers East Senatorial District rerun elections, last December.
“This man,” he said (pointing at the picture of the scene) “also shown to newsmen, can be identified in the video as one of those who invaded the Collation Centre with Fakorede”.
Wike said the intention of those sponsoring insecurity was to discredit his administration and scare away investors.

Chris Oluoh