The governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi has written a petition to National Human Rights Commission requesting for an urgent intervention into the worsening violation of human rights in the State.
Ameachi addressed the petition to the Director General of the Commission, wherein he accused the state Police Commissioner, Mr Joseph Mbu of violating human rights.
Ameachi wrote in the petition: “In my capacity as the governor of Rivers state, compelled by the duty I owe to Rivers people as their chief Security Officer … request for the urgent exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the NHRC towards addressing a grave and deteriorating human rights situation in the state.
He further noted in his petition that there are on-going human rights violations in Rivers state falling within the investigative and other duties of the National Human Rights Commission.
“Abuses which need the independent and human rights competences and capabilities of the National Human Rights Commission as ably demonstrated in your ground breaking engagement of the Baga incident and the situation in North East Nigeria, which interim report bears many striking resemblance to the situation in Rivers state”, he stated.
“There are on-going human rights violations in Rivers state falling within the investigative and other duties of the National Human Rights Commission.
“The Nigeria Police force, Rivers state command under its present Commissioner has become inaccessible and actively antagonistic to my person and office as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Court orders are being obeyed in the breach by the leadership of the police in Rivers state”, he declared.
The governor also pointed out that security communications or directives from the state government are being “treated with even greater contempt as they are no longer even acknowledged”.
This is coming after the governor alleged that the presidency is after his life using the commissioner as a tool to achieve threat on his life.
He had also said this has been happening through various forms of alleged victimization by the state command said to be acting on orders from top echelon of the police force and the presidency.