The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has alleged that a deputy commissioner of police is sabotaging the efforts of the state government at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in Rivers State.
Wike made the allegation following the interception of a truck containing 22 people at Rumuigbo area of the state a 24 hour lockdown was declared in Port-harcourt and Obi Akpor local government areas.
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Speaking via a radio broadcast on Friday, Wike said he was appalled at the outrageous actions of enemies who want to destabilise the fight against COVID-19 in Rivers State.
He blamed the rise of COVID-19 cases in the state on sabotage by security agencies as well as hypocrisy on the part of the Federal Government.
He said sabotage was prevalent in the border areas of the state where security agencies assist persons with questionable COVID-19 status into Rivers State.
“As recently as yesterday, we intercepted a lorry-load of livestock with 22 persons who bribed their ways into Rivers State from as far as Adamawa State despite the Federal Government’s claimed restriction on inter-state travels and our definitive closure of all entry routes into the State,” he said.
“Even today, we intercepted, yet, another 8 trucks with 200 persons hidden in loads of grains and being smuggled into the State from the northern parts of the country.
“Indeed, the extent of sabotage was such that, even a Deputy Commissioner of Police unilaterally appropriated and exercised powers to illegally issue movement pass to individuals and companies indiscriminately in utter contempt and direct violation of the lockdown orders of the State Government.
“And so, as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to graduate and make its way through the State, these actions, inactions and counter-actions from the security agencies are rather amplifying the risk of a public health disaster in our State.
“This being so, it has become imperative to alert the State and indeed, the entire world, of the fact that a dangerous escalation of COVID-19 pandemic in Rivers State looms large in our horizon due largely to the hypocrisy of the Federal Government and the continuous acts of willful sabotage by security agencies.”
The governor thereafter announced a N5 million reward for the security guard who intercepted the recent truckload of people sneaking into Rivers state.
Truth be told, those who claim to be conveying essential food items into the State during this period of total lockdown who are up to something more sinister.”
“They illegally entered the state in violation of the lockdown orders. How and who can they sell their items to when all the markets, hotels and business outfits in the state have been closed down? Let all be warned that we’ll have none of such tricks in Rivers State at this very trying period.” he concluded.