An officer of the State Security
Service, Godwin Mba, has
revealed that cult groups and
thugs spearheaded the violence
and carnage that characterised
the April 11 governorship
election in Rivers State.
Mr. Mba, who led SSS’ detectives
on election duty to Andoni Local
Government Area, told the
Rivers State Election Petitions
Tribunal sitting in Abuja that
the Peoples Democratic Party in
Rivers State worked closely with
known cultists and thugs in
Andoni from the eve of the
election till the announcement
of result.
The security officer, who took
time to brief the Justice Suleman
Ambrosa-led panel, said the
unlawful activities of the PDP on
election day was evident
because the perpetrators of the
crimes are known people with
affiliation to the PDP in the
various communities.
Mr. Mba, who mentioned a
certain Ephraim Bara, leader of
the Iceland cult group and
supporter of the PDP said other
thugs who acted with impunity
did so because of the support
from the former ruling party.
He narrated his experiences to
the tribunal and described the
election as a highly tainted
exercise.
Mr. Mba said, “By my own
assessment, the April 11
governorship election was
characterised by violence,
intimidation, harassment and
irregularities. This is so because
the thugs created an atmosphere
of tension and some persons
who had wanted to vote stayed
away. Even the ad hoc staff had
to run for safety.
“Let me say that shortly after
voting commenced, we started
receiving reports of hijack of
electoral materials by a cult
group known as Icelanders. At Ngo Ward 1,
materials meant for the election were
carted away. At Ward 2, materials meant
for the ward was also hijacked by the same
group. At Ward 6, we received news of voter
intimidation, particularly those perceived to
be members of other parties apart from the
PDP.
“At a point, voters could not come out to
vote for fear of harassment and
intimidation. We did our investigation and
discovered that the cult groups worked for
PDP. The same situation prevailed in other
wards and units, and this adversely affected
the electoral process. And in the course of
our work, we also observed the absence of
result sheets at wards 4, 6, 7 and 9.”
Similarly, another officer of the SSS, Benson
Chukwuma, who served in Ogu-Bolo Local
Government Area of the state said violence
was widespread throughout the election.
However, he agreed that his men had been
properly briefed and according to him
“warned to be careful because the place is
volatile due to the fact that it harbours
many ex-militants”.
“On the eve of the election, we did our
patrol round the local government to make
our presence felt,” Mr. Chukwuma said.
“Then in the morning, distribution of
materials commenced. After accreditation
which was done manually, voting started.
Then suddenly, one of my colleagues told
me that there were threat indicators by
unidentified thugs moving from place to
place.
“At Ward 9, Unit 6 and 8, attempts were
made to cart away electoral materials but it
was resisted by the police and ad hoc staff.
Later, a card reader was snatched, the same
thing happened at other wards and units.
Then they removed original result sheets in
three units.
“As soon as this happened, the violence
started spreading in all the wards. The
police were helpless and then I quickly
contacted the military. But before then, we
had noticed that the INEC and ad hoc staff
were threatened and scared. They felt so
intimidated that they had to carry their
materials to a common place to avoid being
lynched.
“It was in this state of confusion at the local
government secretariat that those who
announced the result arrived at the figure
they declared for the House of Assembly
and governorship.
“In a nutshell, the election was marked by
intimidation, snatching of electoral
materials which did not give room to
smooth conduct of the election. There was
also no collation, if there was collation at
all, there should be members of other
political parties in attendance, but it was
not so”.
There were also other witnesses like
Kamuzu Plankson of Action Alliance Party,
Marshal Jack and Somiare Ogolo who gave
graphic details of the violence, intimidation
and deaths in Asari-Toru, and Opobo Local
Government Areas, among others.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/189930-rivers-governorship-polls-cult-groups-thugs-worked-for-pdp-sss-officer-reveals.html

When will APC stop mourning their loss of Rivers State? Is their destiny there?

I'm nt surprised. The governors behaviour and the way he talks says it all

Wike must be an arsenal fan because he is a "goner".

PDP is a party of thugs and cultists. Full of criminals, riggers and treasury looters.

Will Wike survive this?

the security officers testifying at this tribunal are jokers and disgrace to their job. They saw all these violence and did nothing.

And APCand Amaechi are supposed to be saints right?

doublewisdom:
When will APC stop mourning their loss of Rivers State? Is their destiny there?

They are not moaning. They are painfully going through motions to create a legal basis for what is about to happen. Wike is going, that is settled. It is not only Rivers election rigging. His records as LGA chairman and Minister are with the relevant people. That tummy will shrink very soon. The President and 5 he people around him are very very patient . Let us wait and see .

Apc should be careful o, if they manage to remove wike in Rivers and the rig Bayelsa electon, Militancy will flare up in the south south. Rivers and Bayelsa are PDP states.

We are coming for rivers state









Take it or leave it


I'd rather you take it sha

Ugomba:
Apc should be careful o, if they manage to remove wike in Rivers and the rig Bayelsa electon, Militancy will flare up in the south south. Rivers and Bayelsa are PDP states.

There are enough bullets. Nobody in Nigeria is scared of militants. Nigeria now has enhanced capacity to perpetrate violence courtesy of Boko Haram experience. The western world won't even get to hear of the atrocities of Nigerian forces when they start . There are very accurate sensors now to target camps. I am actually praying that they start something. Let the argument end once and for all.

An open secret in Port Harcourt.

Adminisher:


There are enough bullets. Nobody in Nigeria is scared of militants. Nigeria now has enhanced capacity to perpetrate violence courtesy of Boko Haram experience. The western world won't even get to hear of the atrocities of Nigerian forces when they start . There are very accurate sensors now to target camps. I am actually praying that they start something. Let the argument end once and for all.

may God bless your wife!

APC should know that Rivers people are too wise for the deceptive propaganda.



They should know that Rivers State election was not the national election that APC won through propaganda machinery.



We all know that SSS is absolutely APC intimidation machinery.

doublewisdom:
When will APC stop mourning their loss of Rivers State? Is their destiny there?

apc is mourning, the part is just saying the right thing should be done, and the right thing shall be done in rivers state very soon cos wike is going.

Ugomba:
Apc should be careful o, if they manage to remove wike in Rivers and the rig Bayelsa electon, Militancy will flare up in the south south. Rivers and Bayelsa are PDP states.

Let the militancy flare up, it will be clamped down

There is likely to be another round of election between wike and peterside in rivers state

IbnSultaan:
An officer of the State Security

“Let me say that shortly after
voting commenced, we started
receiving reports of hijack of
electoral materials by a cult
group known as Icelanders. At Ngo Ward 1,
materials meant for the election were
carted away. At Ward 2, materials meant
for the ward was also hijacked by the same
group. At Ward 6, we received news of voter
intimidation, particularly those perceived to
be members of other parties apart from the
PDP.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/189930-rivers-governorship-polls-cult-groups-thugs-worked-for-pdp-sss-officer-reveals.html

The said Ngo ward 1 is coincidentally the ward a friend of mine serve as a po. my brother the level of beating he received from those cult guys despite yielding to their biddings is phenomenal. he is still recuperating from the ordeal. to say the least, their are thing that are way too much to be ignored.

Don Bubu on the beat

nationwide1:
APC should know that Rivers people are too wise for the deceptive propaganda.

We all know that SSS is absolutely APC intimidation machinery.

My dear friend, the first thing is for you to declare if you are from Rivers or stayed in Rivers during the guber elections to validate your position. We should try not to justify brazen fraud and criminality because we need to accomodate the opposition. Fyi, my younger brother served as an electoral officer in a town where there was no elections due to violence and arson arising from the death of someone related to the local council chairman. But, sad enough, they wrote results for the contest after being advanced 20k, with a promise to pay 80k at a later date. For people that are confident of Wike's/PDP's popularity to win a re-run, they should wait and make it happen; for those that threaten the rest of us with violence from militants, we say bring it on! This aint about partisanship

Caseless:
Godwin Mba, benson chukwuma from sss and Okoye from INEC have all testified against wike. I hope those fools complaining that all the soldiers that testified against wike were muslims and all have muslim names can now see their brothers doing same thing.
Wike will go and nothing will happen!

You yorubas and mouth power!!! That was how you pushed Tinubu to challenge his chi and got his ass whipped really bad.I just hope, you don't push the illiterate into destroying this country

Wike, how market na?

A group is being accused by almost everybody who comes to testify, yet someone is asking if ameachi and APC are saints.. someone struck ( the attacker) and the other got hit( the victim) now you want the victim to also be called an attacker?

Ugomba:
Apc should be careful o, if they manage to remove wike in Rivers and the rig Bayelsa electon, Militancy will flare up in the south south. Rivers and Bayelsa are PDP states.

So in essence what you are saying is that PDP are the ones behind militancy in the South South abi??



@ post: Anyway you flip this dice, the odds are stacked up against Wike. I could remember how the state PDP spokesman was ranting on Channels tv then when questioned about the verdict of the international observers as regards the conduct of the election in the State. After all his inane rants, he then rounded up by saying the opinion of the international observers are inconsequential, that what matters is what Nigerians say- oh well, here are Nigerians talking, and the verdict is the same!

So long Wike.

Yea, we know all that.

Wike would have defeated Dakuku clearly without resorting to violence.

Now he's swimming on uncharted waters.

It is settled.

Wike Wike going......

@ op, here is a better caption for your post :
"Rivers Polls: Cult Groups, Thugs Worked For PDP— SSS Daura Officer"

omenka:
So in essence what you are saying is that PDP are the ones behind militancy in the South South abi??



@ post: Anyway you flip this dice, the odds are stacked up against Wike. I could remember how the state PDP spokesman was ranting on Channels tv then when questioned about the verdict of the international observers as regards the conduct of the election in the State. After all his inane rants, he then rounded up by saying the opinion of the international observers are inconsequential, that what matters is what Nigerians say- oh well, here are Nigerians talking, and the verdict is the same!

So long Wike.

my dear, tompolo boys here in delta state de vex right from the presidential election result. They are deadly. If Apc rig bayelsa election and remove wike in rivers. Militancy will return in full force in south south. It will affect the already declining Oil industry in Nigeria. Pipelines will be blown up and oil companies will run away.