NEWS IN NIGERIA

Hoodlums raze Rivers LG as police vacate premises

BARELY 24 hours after security operatives vacated the secretariat of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, suspected hoodlums on Tuesday razed a building in the premises.

The PUNCH learnt that the hoodlums threw dynamite into a building housing the council’s generating set at about 10am. The secretariat gets its supply of electricity from the attacked generator house.

The fire that resulted from the bombing of the generator house reportedly burnt down the whole building.

Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Mr. Tony Okocha, who visited the council after the incident, described it as the handiwork of saboteurs.

Okocha said some names had already been mentioned as suspects to security operatives for investigation.

He said, “It is just the power generating house that is in flames. From what I gathered, the fire was as a result of a dynamite thrown inside the generator house.

“The police was ordered to vacate the council, but should ensure that a minimal security was put in place. From what I can see, the police all left the place.

“I have lost confidence in the police. It is unbelievable that this is happening because the battle appears to have shifted to between the government and the police. Some names of people who masterminded the attack on the council have already been mention.”

A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital, had on Monday ordered policemen guarding the council to vacate the place.

The court directive came on the heels of the suspension of the council chairman, Mr. Timothy Nsirim, for alleged financial impropriety and the consequent inauguration of Mr. Chikodi Dike as the caretaker committee chairman of the council.

The policemen, who had sealed-off the local government council, vacated the premises on Monday in obeisance to the court order.

Amaechi and the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers have been at loggerheads over the suspension of Nsirim.

Also, for passing the resolution to suspend the council boss, the PDP had announced the suspension of 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The House has 32 members.

A court ruling has however nullified the suspension.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, confirmed the incident and added that the police had vacated the council based on a court order.

Agabe explained that the state police command had deployed some policemen in the area to the place to forestall a recurrence of the incident.

“It is a generator house that was affected. The court said police should vacate the place. We have, however, posted two or three policemen to the council to forestall any recurrence of the fire incident,” the police spokesperson said.