Rivers Crisis: Police, Thugs Raid New Speakers Residence, Hon. Eddison Ehie

A combined team of police officers and suspected thugs on Sunday night stormed the private residence of the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Eddison Ehie, leading to a gunfight between his security details and the policemen and thugs.…CONTINUE READING

The raid comes a few days after Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezewon Wike both attended an event in Port Harcourt, which some observers interpreted as an embrace of peace by both men.

Ehie emerged as Speaker after the former Speaker, Hon. Martins Amaeawhule, who leads the pro-Wike lawmakers was removed alongside other principal officers who wanted to impeach Fubara.

In a statement issued by the Legislative Correspondent Rivers State House of Assembly, Ken Uchendu claimed that the raid was carried out in a bid to assassinate the speaker, but failed.

The statement reads, Quote

“At about 11 pm on Sunday the 19th day of November 2023, a group of Armed thugs and rogue Police Officers led by one SP. Irikefe London Owen, a superintendent of Police attached to the CTU B 3 RSV and CSP Salihu Masalachi attacked the private residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS, was fully armed with the intention to assassinate Mr Speaker and his family.

“However, the thugs and rogue Police Officers led by the two above-named police officers in Rivers State were vehemently repelled in a gun battle by the official security details attached to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Barr. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, DSSRS.

“It is imperative to note that the armed rogues and officers were properly and fully captured by CCTV footage in the residence, which shall be made available to all media Houses, including CNN, Aljazeera, and other National and International media outlets for the records.

“Let it be on record that Rivers people, boys, girls, women, men including the aged shall in our numbers occupy the streets stark naked in a demonstration against the Nigerian Police and those sponsoring violence in Rivers State, no matter how highly placed, Rivers people will resist them.

“Finally, should there be a breakdown of Law and order in Rivers State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should hold the above-named Officers, the Rivers State Police Command, and their sponsors in Rivers State responsible.”