The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike had declared that the devastating attack on Rivers State Judiciary, last Friday, was an attempt by the police and the APC to overthrow the Rivers State Government.
The governor spoke, last Friday, after he inspected the Rivers State High Court Complex destroyed by the police and supporters of the APC from the faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
It would be recalled that the APC thugs and police damaged several courtrooms, ransacked the court library, destroyed vehicles and looted nearby shops, while hundreds of expended bullets littered the premises of the state High Court Complex.
Wike said it was unfortunate that the Nigeria Police connived with leaders of the APC to close the courts and stop it from dispensing justice to Rivers people.
In a state-wide broadcast, last Friday, Wike commended Rivers youth for resisting the police and the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who planned to shut down the State High Court over a suit filed by a rival faction.
Wike said: “We have said in many clear terms that never again will unscrupulous politicians shut our courts for business as they did three years ago, and the youth have reaffirmed that this commitment can never be in vain.
“However, while we revel in today’s victory over evil, we must not lower our guards. We should be prepared for more political battles in the days and months ahead, even as I urge our people to be law-abiding and avoid the temptation of taking the laws into your hands.”
The governor warned those whose stock in trade was to continually cause trouble, endanger the peace of the state and task the patience of the people, that there was limit to everything.
He said: “I wish to reassure Rivers people, once again, of our commitment to protect our democratic institutions from those who do not mean well for the progress of our state.
“As we continue to take our state on a path to sustainable peace and irreversible progress, may God protect us from our enemies and crown our efforts with success.”
He blamed the invasion of the Rivers State Judiciary on the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and a faction of the All Progressives Congress, loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.
“Today, 11th May, 2018, operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) invaded the State High Court Complex, Port Harcourt, blocked all entrances, and for hours, prevented judicial workers, judges, litigants and lawyers from gaining access into their offices and courtrooms to carry out their judicial duties and businesses.
“While the siege lasted, organised hoodlums from a faction of the state’s All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi freely harassed innocent persons, including lawyers and destroyed public property, including private vehicles packed in the court premises.
“The brazen assault on the state’s Judiciary was carried out by the police on the direct instructions from the said faction of the APC, which feared that the rival faction might obtain an injunction against the continuation of their highly disputed and rancorous party congresses”, the governor said.
He said there was a clear evidence of conspiracy by the police officers with some known political rascals to wilfully overwhelm the judiciary and thwart the course of justice.
The governor said that the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) continues to lend its men and instruments to the services of opposition elements to sabotage Rivers security architecture, undermine state institutions and abuse the human rights of the people.
Wike said: “All these are in furtherance of actualizing the ignominious political template of the APC to rig the 2019 general elections in the state and unlawfully wrest power from the people by all means.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to investigate the circumstances that led to the invasion and assault on the state’s judiciary and bring all the culprits to justice in order to stop a reoccurrence and avert a chaos orchestrated by those who seek power at all cost using the police.
“Where this is not done, the Federal Government should be ready to be accountable for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, given the readiness of the people to resist the police and defend their democratic rights to live in peace and freely elect their leaders,” the governor stated.
The governor said: “This is very unfortunate. Do not trivialize this invasion by saying it is just an attack by the APC on the judiciary. This is a complete coup by the Nigeria Police and the APC to overthrow the Rivers State Government.
“We have said it before, and we have been vindicated by this callous joint invasion of the Rivers State Judiciary”, Wike asserted.
He regretted that the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Zaki Ahmed decided to copy the Inspector General of Police in the exhibition of recklessness and lawlessness against an arm of government carrying out its lawful duty.
“We cannot continue to rely on the police to defend us. We must all stand up to defend democracy. What has happened is a sign of what APC and the police have planned.
“APC-led Federal Government is not prepared for election. Therefore, they want to truncate the nation’s democracy. They are fomenting trouble to create an avenue for the military to take over.
“The APC Federal Government sponsored Senator Omo-Agege at the Federal High Court. Nobody invaded the court. This action by the police and APC is not acceptable”, he said.
Wike noted that it was the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who plotted the attack on the Judiciary, last Friday, on behalf of the Federal Government, pointing out that the plot was executed by a former local government chairman already standing trial for murder.
“We must defend ourselves and the nation’s democracy. We cannot continue to rely on the police. Remember, it was the police that kidnapped a sitting governor.
“Nigerians have rejected the APC, and there is nothing anybody can do about it. Since they are unpopular, they want to truncate the nation’s democracy”, he stressed.
He commended Rivers youth for rising in defence of their mandate by mobilising to open the courts, despite the shootings by the Nigeria Police.
It would be recalled that the APC and policemen, last Friday, locked the gates of the Rivers State Judiciary in an attempt to stop the court from hearing a suit filed against the party by some aggrieved members.
The governor was guided during the inspection tour of the High Court Complex by Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Adama Inyie Iyayi-Lamikanra.
Reacting to the attack, the eight branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Rivers State, strongly condemned, in totality, the flagrant act of locking up the Port Harcourt High Court premises by some perceived aggrieved youth faction of a political party in the state.
The NBA, in a statement signed for chairmen of all the branches of NBA in Rivers State by Omubo Victor Frank-Briggs Esq, in Port Harcourt, last Friday, indicated that the action was designed “to thwart the wheel of judicial proceedings, rule of law and pervert justice over suspicion of anticipated outcome of a judicial proceeding”.
“The Bar shall vehemently oppose any attempt by anybody and or political party to disrupt the administration of justice in Rivers State,” the NBA stated.
“We call on the relevant authorities to see that the courts remain open, the perpetrators of this act of impunity fished out, prosecuted and justice served,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC in Rivers State, and leader of a faction of the party in the state, Senator Magnus Abe, has commended the Judiciary in Rivers State for resisting the brazen attack and intimidation unleashed on it, last Friday, and coming out of the messy situation stronger than ever before.
The senator said the Judiciary showed so much “courage to stand boldly as the last hope of the common man by granting the request of some members of APC who approached the courts in order to seek a peaceful resolution to the crises that rocked the party after the ward congresses where members who have paid for forms were wilfully excluded”.
Abe, in a statement in Port Harcourt by his spokesperson, Parry Saroh Benson, last Friday, regretted that APC leaders could descend so low by attempting to obstruct the functions of the Judiciary and disrupt the courts from sitting through violent intimidation.
“We commend some members of the party who approached the courts in order to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis that rocked the party after the ward congresses and for insisting that justice must prevail for those who were disenfranchised,” the statement noted.
“They have done well because the absence of law is the presence of anarchy, and as Rivers people, we cannot fold our arms and allow anarchy to envelope the state,” it added.
Similarly, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has lamented the alleged destruction of the Legislative and Judicial arms by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress Federal Government, raising the alarm that “democracy in Nigeria is under serious threat, with the constitution appearing to have been suspended”.
The governor said; “The once respected National Assembly and Judiciary have been so badly blackmailed such that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, functionaries of the executive arm of government now hold the two arms of government with contempt, treating them as if they do not exist. Even those who invaded the senate and took away the Mace are being protected by President Buhari and his men.”
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose, who described the Legislative and Judicial arms as the pillar of democracy, said; “Even when Nigeria was under military rule, our judiciary was not this ridiculed, with the government choosing which court judgment to obey and which one to ignore.”
The governor pointed out that; “President Buhari’s persistent refusal to obey court orders, refusal of the his men to obey summons by the National Assembly and most importantly the withdrawal of $496million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without approval of the National Assembly and in spite of pending court case are indications that the constitution has been suspended and Nigeria returned to full-fledged dictatorship.”
Fayose described the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki as the most subdued National Assembly leader in the history of Nigeria, saying; “Should President Buhari succeeds with his second term bid, no one should bother going to the National Assembly because he will rule like a feudal lord, with general authority over other Nigerians.
“Democracy is endangered when the executive arm of government goes about demonizing the Judiciary as being corrupt and the National Assembly tagged as a gathering of rascals who are contributing nothing to governance. Unfortunately, that is what the Legislative and Judicial arms have suffered under this government.
“In disobedience to court order that they should be released, the leader of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenat, have been detained for more than two years without trial.
“Also, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has been in detention for over two years even when many courts in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Court have ordered for his release.
“Several resolutions made by the National Assembly have been ignored, including ones bothering on the welfare of Nigerians. Statutory appointments that require Senate confirmation are now being made unilaterally. Even those whose nominations were rejected by the Senate are still holding the same offices for which their nominations were rejected.
“Lovers of democracy in Nigeria should therefore be worried and the international community must intervene and prevail on the President to allow democratic institutions to function in the country,” the governor said.