Thugs Vandalise Factional APC Secretariat in Rivers

The internal crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State yesterday became worse as hoodlums suspected to be political thugs vandalised a factional state secretariat of the party in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The secretariat, located in the Waterlines axis of Aba Road, Port Harcourt, was set up by aggrieved members of the APC loyal to the senator representing Rivers South-East district in the National Assembly, Sen. Magnus Ngei Abe.

Although party flags had been hoisted in front of the building, work was still on-going at the site in preparation for take-off.

An eyewitness of the attack told journalists that the hoodlums attacked the secretariat at about 9:00 a.m. in no fewer than five commercial buses

The eyewitness, who identified him as Ikechukwu Stephen, said the thugs were accompanied by armed men, who wore black and rode on a Toyota Hilux.

He said: “I was working, that is painting the building, when I saw five buses parked in front of here and boys came out and rushed into this place. The first rushed me and threw away the paints. They entered inside building and started destroying things.

“There was a white Hilux following them at the back. After they finished their action, somebody from the white Hilux started shooting gun; I don’t know whether they are policemen or not. They scattered everywhere, the glasses, the doors, the windows and so many things.”

Addressing journalists after inspecting the level of destruction on the building, the member representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Chieftain of the Abe faction, Hon. Chidi Wihioka, accused the Chairman of APC in the state, Hon. Ojukaye FlagAmachree of involvement in the attack on the factional secretariat.

He alleged that men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) provided cover for the hoodlums that destroyed the factional party secretariat.