The violence that characterised the legislative rerun election in Rivers State on Saturday has claimed the lives of some policemen. A senior police officer, DSP Alkali Mohammed of Mobile Police Unit 48, and his orderly were beheaded by unknown persons when they ran into an ambush at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga.

Three other policemen escaped while five others are missing. The police patrol vehicle, which was conveying the 10 policemen, was taken away with weapons by suspected hoodlums. Major General Kashimu Abdulkarim, the General Officer Commanding of the 6 Division disclosed this yesterday.

“The most brutal incidence occurred at Ujju Community near Omoku in Onelga where a police patrol team was ambushed. In the ambush, 10 policemen scampered into the bush.

“The Mobile Police organised a rescue mission. Regrettably, the team discovered that DSP Alkali Mohammed of Mobile Police Unit 48 was beheaded along with his orderly.

The patrol vehicle was taken away with weapons, three policemen escaped while five were missing in action,” Abdulkarim disclosed. The Nigerian Army also rescued 16 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who were abducted during the polls.

According to the GOC, “In Abonema, there were three explosions that created bedlam. Subsequently, 11 NYSC members were abducted along with electoral materials.

However, 10 of them were rescued two hours later by the soldiers while one was rescued about eight hours later. “At Emouha, Mr. Oblewaremu abducted five NYSC members with election materials in a Sienna bus.

The corps members were rescued while the suspect was handed over to the police.” Maj-Gen. Abdulkarim dismissed the claims that soldiers carted away sensitive INEC materials during the polls.

He said: “The 6 Division, Nigerian Army remained apolitical in the conduct of the election. Its soldiers provided perimeter defence to ward off hoodlums and miscreants. “Nigerian Army troops were, in no way, involved in any form of ballot box snatching, neither were they involved in the escort of politicians as alleged.

“They acted swiftly in response to security breaches in order to enforce the law, provide aid to the Nigeria Police and other security agencies, especially in areas like Abonema, Etche, Gokhana, Ikwere, Eleme, Tai, Khana and Omoku, amongst others.

“Susceptibility of mentioned areas warranted providing security for the electoral officials, voters, international and local observers, in conjunction with other security agencies by soldiers for a peaceful election to thrive in the environment.

“These were areas where armed men engaged security personnel. In Gokhana, armed hoodlums engaged the soldiers providing outer perimeter defence for the electorate.Several shootings were recorded in some communities such as Bodo, the home town of the Secretary to the State Government, B-dere and Mogho in Gokhana LGA, including snatching of ballot boxes.”

Abdulkarim also denied claims that the army connived with some politicians to influence the outcome of the just-concluded legislative elections in the state.

“The allegation that soldiers carried out killings and mass arrest in Tai and Gokana Local Government Areas during the legislative rerun election is false. “In addition, the allegations made by some respected politicians regarding deep involvement of soldiers during the elections were aimed at tarnishing the positive image of the army.

“These people (politicians) allegedly accused soldiers of snatching ballot boxes, illegal escort of some politicians and arrest and detention of voters during the elections which is totally untrue.

“Members of the public should consider these weighty accusations that present soldiers in a negative manner as mere farce to garner public sympathy,” he said.

Meanwhile, some officers of the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) yesterday arrested some chieftains of the PDP.

The security operatives allegedly disrupted the announcement of result by INEC staff that did not favour the candidates of the APC. In Ikwerre Local Government Area, a team of police officers held the council’s caretaker committee chairman, Samuel Nwanosike, other PDP chieftains and Electoral Officers hostage. Sources said that one CP David, who was in charge of the senatorial zone, led hundreds of police personnel in the operation.

In Emuoha Local Government Area, soldiers invaded the area and arrested John Wokoma, the caretaker committee chairman at the council secretariat, and whisked him away to an unknown destination. The Rivers State Government said that the operation was led by Col. Ali, acting on instructions from the Brigade Commander.

Sources said that before Wokoma’s arrest, the soldiers had chased away the agents of the PDP. In Ahoada West Local Government Area, operatives of SARS in the company of a chieftain of the APC, shot sporadically and chased away all PDP agents at the collation centre for Ahoada West.

At the INEC office in Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area, soldiers and SARS operatives allegedly chased away party agents, corps members, newsmen, and observers after using an Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to block the entrance to the collation centre.

Lalasticlala, Mynd44

madridguy:
I just hope when the return leg starts some people won't come here to be shouting Army is killing them.

kcnwaigbo:

Which return leg? Those guys have been bombing our pipelines into recession, what has the army done? The earlier you realised the army is only powerful against defenseless and unarmed civilians, the better for you

QuotaSystem:


https://www.nairaland.com/3513337/n-delta-leaders-buhari-boys-stopped#51846686

Even those creek rats have scampered into hiding since the Air Force's fire spitting birds made them realize there is no hiding place in the creeks.

kcnwaigbo:

Bros please I don't want to laugh too much please. Has it been up to a month since the last bombing? People like you were the ones on this site who gloated over operation crocodile smile, in the end shebi you have seen what a failure it was.!!! BTW the air force have done nothing since the last bombing!! They have also been several bombings since the last military exercise operation crocodile smile ended

whirlwind7:
When I recall the once beloved Rivers state...and Port Harcourt, fondly referred to as the "Garden City", then compare it with the present situation of things at the moment...how sad!

That single state is a reflection of how low this country has sunk. Forget about PDP vs APC. The rot that eventually led to this gory situation in that state, and the Niger Delta as a whole didn't start today. Didn't manifest just because party politics and ignorant folks who are willing to be used as instruments of destruction have held sway.

Its been a long time coming. That FG and INEC can no more guarantee a violence free election within a few wards in a state says a lot.
The people and its government wholly deserve each other. If you are ready to kill for politicians that don't have your welfare in mind, then you deserve to die like the animal that you have become.

I don't really see things improving anytime soon. It is coming to a head, and 2019 is bound to see us witness the bloodiest election period in this country's history if we continue this way.

QuotaSystem:
Animal behavior from sub human criminals undeserving of the oxygen they breathe. Why can't an election hold in that state without rivers of blood flowing?

#spits

kcnwaigbo:

Bros please I don't want to laugh too much please. Has it been up to a month since the last bombing? People like you were the ones on this site who gloated over operation crocodile smile, in the end shebi you have seen what a failure it was.!!! BTW the air force have done nothing since the last bombing!! They have also been several bombings since the last military exercise operation crocodile smile ended

QuotaSystem:
Animal behavior from sub human criminals undeserving of the oxygen they breathe. Why can't an election hold in that state without rivers of blood flowing?

#spits

BeeBeeOoh:
Ain't siding anybody, but if I may ask you, Where Were You When Amechi, A Federal Character Was Inciting Violence?

BeeBeeOoh:
Ain't siding anybody, but if I may ask you bro, Where Were You When Amechi, A Federal Character Was Inciting Violence?

modath:


Play on word!!! Pun intended?

madridguy:
I just hope when the return leg starts some people won't come here to be shouting Army is killing them.

QuotaSystem:


They are both wrong, despite the fact that Ameachi was simply giving the thug Governor a taste of his own medicine.

No blood should be shed for any politician, it is pure stupidity.

sarrki:



Op



I know where your loyalty lies

QuotaSystem:


I bet you didn't read the contents of that embedded link where ND leaders were pleading for PMB's attention as in their own words, "their boys have stopped bombing".

Read, it won't bite you.

sarrki:



To criticize your government is your constitutional right


To support a criminal that sabotage your government is

Treasonable offence

kcnwaigbo:

And are you unaware we had bombings in Delta state barely two weeks ago?