Wike, Amaechi’s Convoys Clash in Port Harcourt …
Police commence investigation, make arrests
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday took their rivalry to a dangerous level when their convoys clashed in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A policeman was badly wounded in the violent encounter.
Police said some arrests had been made in connection with the clash, while investigation has commenced.
Both sides however gave different accounts of what led to the clash. According to Wike’s media, the governor was on project inspection, when he was attacked at Weja Junction on Trans-Amadi Road. The governor’s media team claimed that the SARS personnel and soldiers in the minister’s convoy knocked down the governor’s escort rider and attacked the police men in the pilot car.
A Government House source accused the Aide-De-Camp to Amaechi, Mr. Seimeikumo Debewari, of supervising the attack, which allegedly caused damage to journalists’ cameras.
The governor’ s team also fingered the Commander of Rivers SARS, Mr. Akin Fakorede, who received the minister at the Port Harcourt International Airport and accompanied him on his trip, in the attack.
Amaechi’s media office. in a statement, claimed that ithe minister was almost shot by the governor’ s security aides during the clash. A statement from the minister’s media office said in“blatant show of naked raw power, Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, this afternoon narrowly escaped being shot by security men attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike. His car wasn’t that lucky though. The car was van dal is ed with a broken side mirror .”
According to Amaechi’s media office, “The Minister had arrived Port Harcourt this afternoon. Accompanied by cars of many of his supporters, the Minister’s black jeep was intercepted and blocked at the junction by the security Motorcycle Outrider attached to Wike, after two cars had passed through.
“One of the two cars had security men assigned to protect the minister in Port Harcourt. Suddenly, gun-toting security men attached to W ike’ s convoy surrounded the minister’ s car, threatening to shoot him. They hit the car, tried to smash the windscreens, back and side windows and broke a side mirror. All through this attack, A mae chi remained calm, inside the fortified Jeep. While the attack occurred, Wike remained inside his vehicle.
“The minister eventually passed through after the intervention of the security team on ground to protect him in Port Harcourt. However, when Governor Wike got to the point where the incident occurred after Amaechi’s vehicle had gone by, his security men blocked the road again, dragged out from a vehicle and thoroughly beat up a police man attached to protect A mae chi in Port Harcourt. The Policeman’s riffle was also taken from him .”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Police have commenced investigation into the incident.
When THISDAY got through to the Commissioner of Police in the state, Zaki Mohammed Ahmed, he confirmed the clash and added that a few arrests had been made with respect to the attack on one of his men. He referred our reporter to the police spokesperson for additional information.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, who eventually spoke to THISDAY last night, also confirmed the CP’ s story of arrest and investigation and assured the people that whoever was found culpable would be brought to justice.
He however dismissed al leg at io no assassination attempt on W ike. He said there was no such development in the encounter between the governor and the minister.
According to him ,“The governor is the chief security officer of the state and should be very well protected and he is protected. The story is neither here nor there. It is not true. The CP has ordered an investigation into the party and anyone found culpable will be dealt with .”