In a bizzare show of brute force, the Rivers State government today experienced its most unusual political crisis between the People’s Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress which saw the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Mr Steven Hasso leading armed APC thugs to attack the Government House, Port Harcourt.
In another development, the Rivers State Police Command opened fire on a peaceful procession of members of the PDP to the Rivers State House of Assembly on a solidarity visit to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Dabo Adams.
The police shot one of the PDP members on his foot and injured several others at the Moscow Road Roundabout near the State House of Assembly.
As the team moved towards Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Steven Hasso, ordered his operatives to physically assault a Channels Television cameraman, Mr Ekikere Udom.
The ACP and his operatives used their guns to batter the Channels Television cameraman, dispossesing him of his telephones and other valuables.
At the front of the Government House, Port Harcourt, ACP Hasso and his operatives also physically assualted the Chief Security Officer of the Government House.
They shot repeatedly into the air, however the Government House security prevented them from gaining entrance .
Mr Hasso, the Rivers State Police Command Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations kept on shouting,
“These APC supporters must meet Wike in Government House since they cannot go to the State House of Assembly.”
Hasso backed the APC protesters with 20 Hilux Vans, while DSS operatives in four Hilux vans were in their company.
Despite the attacks by the Rivers State Police Command, the members of the PDP marched to the Rivers State House of Assembly where they declared that nobody would be allowed to rig elections in the state.
The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Samuel Nwanosike said that despite the attacks by the police, the PDP members marched to the House of Assembly to show solidarity with the speaker and honourable members.
He said: “If they think that they can do what they did in Edo State here in Rivers State, they are mistaken. They will be duly resisted”.
In his response, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr Dabo Adams thanked the PDP members for refusing to take the lae into their hands despite the provocation by the police who shot at them.
The Speaker said: “I thank you that despite the provocation of the police, you didn’t take the laws into your hands. The Commissioner of Police can take the message to those that sent them.”
He noted that the police must realise that the Rivers people have the capacity to match them, especially with their deliberate intention to create havoc in the state.
The Speaker commended the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for his commitment to peace and security, which was denied the people of the state by the immediate past administration.
According to him, the pro-people programmes of the governor have endeared him to the people. He said that the State Assembly will continue to support the governor’s development programme.