The Rivers State Police Command has said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was shot at because they had no knowledge he was in the midst of the Protesters.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Grace Iringe-Koko said in a statement on Wednesday that the governor and his entourage “surprisingly appeared in the ensuing melee without prior communication to the Police Force, which is standard protocol.”
She said that police operatives deployed to the scene were battling to contain protesting youths with potential to cause mayhem and that they only took “deliberate security steps to ensure the protection and safety of the governor” when he arrived.
Fubara had accused security agencies of bias and “shooting at him directly” amid the ongoing crisis in the state. The governor was reportedly visiting the assembly complex to assess the level of damage caused by arsonists earlier on Sunday night when he was shot at.
Iringe-Koko said that the police command has launched a comprehensive investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting.
The statement reads in part, “Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, particularly at the State House of Assembly on Monday 30th October, and recalling the previous case of arson on the State House of Assembly a day prior which is currently being investigated, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations immediately deployed armed police operatives which he personally supervised in order to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the State House of Assembly facility and its environ.
“At the entrance of the Complex, it was observed that youths numbering over a hundred had begun a protest to gain access to the Complex and conduct themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
“This led to the police deploying non-lethal crowd control equipment including tear gas and water cannon to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters.
“However, some minutes later, another aggressive group of persons approached the entrance of the complex and advanced towards the premises. The police therefore engaged them in like manner but observed that the Executive Governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara, was in their midst.
“The presence of the governor at the scene was of great surprise and shock as there was no prior communication to the police on the visit of the governor to the scene of the crime which ordinarily is the usual protocol and complimentary that we accompany his guard for proper safety considering the intelligence of security threat at hand then.
“In consideration of this, the DC Ops quickly took deliberate security steps to ensure his protection and safety, while the Governor and his entourage went on to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident.
“Thus, it’s pertinent to state that the Police did not deliberately attack the Governor, or even attempt to hurt anyone let alone the Chief Executive and security officer of the state which it’s our most essential role to protect as being peddled in the news. Due to the present situation, and the misrepresentation in some sections of the media, it is pertinent to make this clarification.
“Similarly, the Rivers State Police Command has emplaced adequate security measures to ensure that the situation de-escalates and total calm is restored in the affected areas.”