The Senate Committee on Police Affairs interviewed the Rivers State police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu over the attack on Senator Magnus Abe last Sunday during a rally in Port Harcourt.
The purpose of the meeting was to verify claims made by the Rivers State government and Ogoni leaders which accused the police of shooting Abe at close range with rubber bullets. The Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Paulinus Igwe told newsmen that they were on a facts finding mission and not witch hunting anyone.
“The Police Committee is not here to witch-hunt anybody. Ours is to be unbiased. The Police should open up and tell us what happened,” he said.
Mbu told the committee that his police officers did not have or use rubber bullets, and that what they fired was tear gas canisters. He added that there was no Police permission granted for the rally.
“What were expended on that day were canisters of tear gas. Police only use live bullets when repelling robbers,” he said.
An Ogoni group said repeat of such incident will make them call for the removal of Nigerian Police from their territory.
The Ogoni Leaders of Thought, said: “We demand an immediate investigation into the events leading to the near assassination of Senator Abe. We join the National Assembly and other well meaning Nigerians to condemn the persistent acts of impunity perpetrated by the Nigeria Police in Rivers State and ask for the immediate removal of CP Mbu from the state. In the event of continued acts of impunity, the Ogoni people will not hesitate to demand the vacation of the Nigeria Police from our territory.”