The Rivers State government has said Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, survived no fewer than five assassination attempts on his life in 11 months.
The state commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday, stated that the first attempt to kill Wike’s life was made immediately after the Supreme Court verdict.
Tam-George, who described as as callous and insensitive, recent denials by the Police that the governor’s life was at risk, said the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government declared war on the government and people of the state immediately after the Supreme Court verdict.
He said, “It is no secret that the APC government declared war on the government and people of Rivers State, soon after the party lost the governorship litigation at the Supreme Court in 2016.”
The Information commissioner stated that the governor’s Chief Security Officer was removed abruptly without any explanation, and that the six police officers dismissed by the Police in January this year played a key role in foiling the series of attempts to kill Wike.
Tam-George further disclosed that after several attempts to assassinate Wike had failed, an offer of One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira was made to two of the six dismissed police officers, to directly kill the governor, but that the officers declined the offer.
He said, “We call on the Interpol and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to lead an independent inquiry into why those gallant and patriotic officers were dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force, on spurious charges of misconduct.”
The commissioner stated that as part of it’s preparations to seize Rivers State in the 2019 elections, the central APC government was already consideing a range of escalatory measures against Wike and some key leaders in Rivers state.