Port Harcourt, Rivers State — Four youths wey Federal High Court for Port Harcourt discharge and acquit last week don talk about di serious matter dem face after dem detain dem for six to eight months over di bombing of Rivers State House of Assembly complex for 2023. Di youths, Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Prince Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini, report say dem torture and pressure to frame di Chief of Staff to di suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Edison Ehie.
Dis revelation come soon after former Head of Service for Rivers State, George Nwaeke, allege say Governor Fubara sponsor di Assembly bombing for October 2023 to stop lawmakers loyal to ex-Governor Nyesom Wike from impeaching him. Di youths make di claim during a news conference on Monday as dem seek justice and clarity after their torturous experience.
Ezebalike talk say dem dey force am and di three other guys to implicate Ehie by some top members of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He mention how dem meet one PDP leader for Obio/Akpor, who then tell dem to come meet one big person within di party. Di agenda? To rewrite their statements and point fingers at Ehie as di mastermind of di bombing.
“We dey here today as Rivers State citizens and indigenes wey dey feel say we need to talk about wetin don happen to us. We no do anything wrong but dem don make us suffer. Just few days ago, dem still call one of us to make us change our story to fit di narrative wey Nwaeke talk for him press briefing,” Ezebalike explain.
Di youths recount how dem pick dem from different places in di state, accusing dem of di Assembly complex bombing because of their ties with Ehie. “For six to eight months, we endure wetin we no deserve—from arrest to torture. Our ‘crime’ was refusing to implicate Ehie as chief suspect for di fire incident,” he continue.
Continuing di narrative, Ezebalike share how dem wan bribe dem for freedom. “Dem carry Kenneth Kpasa for GRA, Port Harcourt with three Hilux vans. Dem blindfold us and carry us to di Federal-Intelligence Response Team (FIRT) under false pretenses say di car wey we dey drive come from a stolen place,” he explain.
“Once for de FIRT facility, dem bid for us to confess to murder and other serious crimes but we resist dem. Dem deny us access to lawyer, and only allow us to write statement when dem ready to see wetin go implicate Ehie,” he added, detailing di full horror of their detention.
Dem even allege that a member of di Rivers State Assembly and one of Nyesom Wike’s allies push dem to confess, and when dem no gree, dem subject dem to beatings and starvation. “Dem come back with money offers and trip plans to Ghana but we reject am. Our integrity no fit allow us to join dem for dis kind bad matter,” Ezebalike conclude.
In another development, di kinsmen of Governor Fubara don deny any plans for a relief rally for him. Dis comes after George Turnah, di South-South Zonal Secretary of di PDP, announce plans for a pro-Nyesom Wike rally on April 12 for Bayelsa State. Governor Duoye Diri don express his objection to any rally due to di ongoing crisis for Rivers State.
Fubara kinsmen, under di group wey dey call Opobo Elder Statesmen, don say reports of any planned counter-rally in Rivers State be false. Di group secretary, Lawrence Oko-Jaja (SAN), clarify dem position during a press conference in Port Harcourt, saying di people of Opobo no go engage in violence or protests.
“We dey call for peace and we no fit enter di trap wey Turnah and him sponsors set for us. We get peaceful legacy and we go continue for dat path,” he add as he emphasize di need for democratic means to handle di political issues.
Oko-Jaja conclude say di people of Opobo support their governor but dey worry about di current state of affairs. “We don dey peaceful through dis crisis and we go maintain am to protect our community and di environment,” he say. “We go pray say government fit address di current problem quickly so we fit move forward,” he emphasize.
