Rivers re-run: Wike asks court to stop police probe

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja, to stop ongoing police investigation into alleged violence in the December 10, 2016 legislative re-run election in the state.

Arguing an ex parte application yesterday, Wike’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), asked the court to make an order of interim injunction restraining the IGP; State Security Services (SSS) and a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro, from enforcing or executing the matters contained in the letter written to Governor Wike by the police boss on December 20, 2016.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris had in a letter titled: ‘Investigation into allegations of crimes committed during the last rerun elections in Rivers State,’ sought the cooperation of the governor to an investigative panel over alleged acts of criminality which occurred during the national and state assembly elections in the state.

But in an affidavit deposed to by Harrison Obi of Ozekhome’s law chambers, Wike identified the police and the army as having orchestrated the violence that affected the re-run election in the state.

Ozekhome told Justice Gabriel Kolawole that the terms of reference of the panel suggest it was constituted to achieve a pre-determined and biased objective against Wike, having regard to the numerous conclusions already reached in the said letter.

The case has been adjourned to January 30 for hearing.