We Did Not Deliberately Shoot At Governor Fubara — Rivers Police

The Rivers State Police Command has defended the actions of its operatives on Monday, saying they did not deliberately shoot at the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

Recall that Governor Fubara had accused the police in the state of shooting at him directly on Monday, while on his way to access the premises of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex that reportedly caught fire over an impeachment saga in the state.

Videos on the internet further showed how police operatives shot water cannons and tear gas at the entourage of the governor while heading to the complex.

Reacting to the accusation, the police issued a statement on Wednesday, signed by its spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko stating that its operatives only fired tear gas cannisters to disperse some lawmakers and protesters who gathered at the complex entrance to thwart any bridge of peace.

The statement read in part: “Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, particularly at the State House of Assembly on Monday, October 30, and recalling the previous case of arson on the State House of Assembly a day prior which is currently being investigated,

“The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations immediately deployed armed police operatives which he personally supervised in order to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the State House of Assembly facility and its environ.

“At the complex’s entrance, it was observed that youths numbering over a hundred had begun a protest to gain access to the complex and conduct themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.

“This led to the police deploying non-lethal crowd control equipment, including tear gas and water cannons, to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters.

“However, some minutes later, another aggressive group of persons approached the entrance of the complex and advanced towards the premises. The police, therefore, engaged them in like manner but observed that the Executive Governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara, was in their midst.

The police said it was shocked at the presence of the governor at the scene as there was no prior communication to the police on the visit of the governor to the scene of the crime.

The police noted that such prior communication was a usual protocol and complimentary that accompanies his guard for proper safety.

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The police stated further, “In consideration of this, the DC Ops quickly took deliberate security steps to ensure his protection and safety while the Governor and his entourage went on to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident.

“Thus, it’s pertinent to state that the Police did not deliberately attack the Governor or even attempt to hurt anyone, let alone the Chief Executive and security officer of the state, which is our most essential role to protect as being peddled in the news. Due to the present situation and the misrepresentation in some sections of the media, it is pertinent to clarify this.

“Similarly, the Rivers State Police Command has emplaced adequate security measures to ensure that the situation de-escalates and total calm is restored in the affected areas”.