– Governor Nyesom Wike has asked the Abuja court to stop the ongoing police probe
– The probe is focused on the violence that marred the Rivers state re-run elections
– The police said that the decision of Wike to institute his own panel on the matter was wrong
Mike Ozekhome
The governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has approached the Abuja division of the Federal High Court and asked for an order that will stop the police probe into the violence that occurred during the Rivers re-run elections.
Wike asked for the order on Monday, January 16, to bar the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Ibrahim Idris from continuing with the investigation into various complaints ranging from petitions, allegations of crime and various acts of criminality during the elections.
The governor filed through his lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, including the State Security Services (SSS) and a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro, as defendants in the suit.
According to Vanguard, Ozehkome who moved the motion before Justice Gabriel Kolawole prayed the court to issue an interim order of injunction that would stop the defendants or their agents from enforcing or executing matters contained in a letter the IGP wrote to Wike on December 20, 2016.
READ ALSO: Rivers rerun: INEC to conduct outstanding elections in 2017
In the letter, which was pertaining to the probe, Ozekhome told the court that the IGP in the letter, which was titled: ‘Investigation into allegations of crimes committed during the last rerun elections in Rivers state’ had stated the following: “The purview of the investigation will cover allegations of bribes taken, several brazen murder incidents (including that of serving Police Officers), reports of gross human rights abuses, acts of sabotage/terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and ballot box snatching, all of
Also, the letter requested that the governor would give the police investigative team all necessary information and exhibits that may assist the team in the investigation.
Wike’s lawyer, Ozekhome also went on to say that the police had no right to constitute a panel to investigate the rerun elections in Rivers state and the crisis surrounding it, saying that it was illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and null and void.
The SAN said that for justice to be served, the court should set aside the IGP’s letter to governor Wike and direct the police boss to await the outcome of the commission of inquiry set up by the Rivers state government.
READ ALSO: PHOTOS: How SARS officials were stopped from stealing River rerun results
On his own part Wike said in a supporting affidavit he attached to the motion served by his lawyer, that it was security operatives, mainly the police and the army that orchestrated violence during the elections.
He even went on to say that security operatives deployed for the exercise were caught on tape and presented to Nigerians and the whole world by various reputable television stations.
Below is a video showing the violence that occurred during the Rivers re-run elections:
360naze
No comments:
Post a Comment