…Faults Fubara’s Claim Of SP Bako’s Death To Political Crisis
By Eric Moore
THE Ekpeye Advocacy Group, Ahoada Town, in Rivers State, has raised the alarm over more than 20 gruesome deaths recorded in the area in the last two months.
Also, the group has refuted the claim it credited to the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that the murder of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ahoada Police Division, late SP Bako Amgbashim, was because of his political crisis.
The group in a statement signed by its Convener, Olimini Chinuzoke, and Director of Publicity, Nnamdi Ezebalike, which was released on Monday, lamented that there has not been any response from security authorities to arrest the situation.
It noted: “In the past two months alone, over 20 gruesome murders have been recorded in Ekpeye without the authorities blinking an eye.
“Some of these include the killing of five persons in Edeoha town on 20th October, beheading of two persons in Ihuowo town, killing of two persons in Odiabidi town, killing of three persons at Ula Ehuda on 22nd October, killing of over five persons within Ahoada town, killing of paramount ruler and youth leader of Oshiugbokor town on 8th September, 2024, and yesterday’s (Sunday) murder of Mrs. Akpani and her five years old son, while her stomach was ripped open and the baby in her womb harvested with other organs at Ula Upata community and many more.”
According to the group, there was no connection between the governor’s ordeal and the police officer’s murder, clarifying that while Bako was killed in September, Fubara’s political problem started in October.
It further noted that Nigeria Police arrested, detained and prosecuted the individuals for their alleged involvement in the gruesome murder of DPO Bako.
It said: “Our attention has been drawn to the barefaced lies told by the Governor of Rivers State His Excellency Sir Siminalayi Fubara at Ahoada town on Friday 6th December 2024 while commissioning the remodeled Government Girls Secondary School Ahoada.
“The governor had openly declared that Ekpeye kings especially Eze Ekpeye Logbo HRM Kelvin Anugwo and Eze Igbu Akoh HRM Cassidy Ikegbidi who were arrested, detained and prosecuted by the Nigeria Police for alleged complicity in the gruesome murder of the DPO of Ahoada Police Division late SP Bako Amgbashim, were rather singled out for persecution because of their support for him in the cause of the political crises in Rivers state, an assertion that is obviously a lie.
“The expression on the faces of Ekpeye people at the arena when the governor made the comment clearly indicted their resentment as all Ekpeye people know the facts and extent of involvement of all arrested persons in the Bako murder saga.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bordered to react to the governor’s lies because of the obvious facts of the Bako murder, but we are compelled to do so for record purposes and for the sake of the general public who may be tempted to take the governor’s words serious because it came from a governor.
“We are also compelled to react bearing in mind that the governor did not make such pronouncement unconsciously, but, rather, deliberately to distort facts, play politics and whip unnecessary sentiment from the public.
“Of course, the governor knows very well that there is no link between SP Bako’s murder and his self inflicted political ordeal as both do not occur same period.
“It is on record that DPO Bako was murdered on Friday, 9th September, 2023 and the Ekpeye Kings were arrested on the orders of the Commissioner of Police on Sunday, 11th September; while his (Fubara) political ordeal occurred on 30th October 2023, a time the Ekpeye kings were already two months in detention.
“This being the fact which the governor is very much aware of, it then baffles common reasoning why the effort to associate himself and his political ordeal with the dastardly act, except there is any behind the scene details not known to us.
“Of utmost concern to us is the governor’s decision who is the Chief security officer of the state to trivialize and politicize the globally condemned murder of SP Bako Angbashim and the resort to condemning and tarnishing the image of the Nigeria police for the arrest and prosecution of the suspects linked to the Bako murder.
“Our worry in this effort to downplay the gravity of the Bako’s murder and other heinous crimes in Ekpeye is that despite the killing of 2Baba, gruesome murders have continued to occur in Ekpeye on a daily basis without any deliberate effort by the state nor the local governments to end the insecurity.
“All this to us is an effort to empower these criminals and embolden them to perpetuate their killings and intimidate the people to submission.
“We, therefore, wish to use this opportunity to plead with the security authorities to come to our aid as there appears to be a deliberate effort to exterminate Ekpeye people.”