Police Disrupt Another APC Rally In Rivers
Barely 24 hours after security operatives disrupted the rally organised by the
All Progressives Congress in Obio/Akpor area of Rivers State, the police have
been accused by the Ikwerre Local Government chapter of the party of invading
the council headquarters during its rally on Wednesday.
The APC alleged that the police shot teargas at party supporters, brutalized
traditional rulers and law-abiding citizens in the area, just as it alleged
that canopies, chairs and public address systems were destroyed in the process
and valuables of party supporters seized at the rally.
Speaking with reporters on the incident, an APC chief in the area, Elder Chidi
Wihioka, said the party had earlier informed the police in writing that the
Ikwerre Local Government Chapter of APC would be visiting wards to hold
rallies and sensitize the people about the party activities but lamented the
ugly turn of events.
Wihioka said, “We had to converge on the Ikwerre Local Government Council to
observe the arrangement of canopies, chairs and tables before I started
getting calls here and there by a group.
“But we decided not to get worried because we had earlier informed the police
of holding rallies in the various wards. We also expected a written response
from the police. We have the right to freedom of association, but, in this
case, our liberty and rights were violated by the police”.
Wihioka claimed that whenever the Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI),
funded by Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, holds its rallies,
which he claimed sometimes were without police permit, they are given police
cover but lamented that was not the case for other groups in the state.
Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Mr.
Welendu Amadi flayed the increasing level of hostility against members of his
party and law-abiding citizens in the area.
When reached to comment on the situation, State Police Public Relations
Officer, Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said that he was
out of the state.
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