[BREAKING] Rivers Assembly Fire: Investigation Demanded into Alleged Plot to Frame Fubara’s Ally
Port Harcourt, Rivers – The Citizens for Justice and Accountability in Governance (CJAG) has demanded a deeper investigation into the report that four suspects had claimed that they were pressurised to implicate Edison Ehie over the fire incident that rocked the Rivers state House of Assembly.
Ehie was a chief of staff to the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and was recently accused of being the mastermind of the 2023 fire incident that rocked the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Group condemned framing of Fubara’s ally
Stephen Emmanuel, the president of the group, maintained that the revelation by the suspects was disturbing, adding that it was to pervert justice and fuel the current political tension in the oil-rich state.
The Nation reported that in a statement issued on Friday, CJAG warned that the suspects’ claims must not be ignored and urged authorities to treat the matter with the seriousness it deserves. The statement reads in part:
“This is no longer just about arson. It is now about a deliberate attempt to destroy reputations, manipulate public perception, and mislead security agencies for political gain,
“How can anyone in good conscience seek to fabricate allegations so grave, involving murder, attempted assassination, and arson — just to settle political scores? This is criminal, and we demand prosecution of the masterminds.”
When did Rivers’ political crisis start?
The political crisis rocking Rivers state has been trailed by the threat of impeachment as the Rivers state House of Assembly-led by Martin Amaewhule camp, accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy Ngozi Odu of gross misconduct.
The crisis started barely six months after Fubara resumed the office of power and he allegedly worked to remove the speaker of the House, a development the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, was displeased with.
Wike, who currently serves as minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), complained about the governor’s move to hijack the political structure of the state from him. A development which led to a prolonged crisis in the state.
How Tinubu, court move to stop Rivers crisis
President Bola Tinubu and the courts, including the Supreme Court, have intervened but all to vain. The president subsequently declared a state of emergency and announced an initial six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy and all the state House of Assembly members.
Tinubu’s proclamation has led to debate and controversies among several Nigerians from different sectors and has been publicly supported by at least three Nigerian governors. Below is the list of the governors who have supported the move.
Wike tackles ex-governor for defending Fubara
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nyesom Wike, the minister of the FCT, has responded to former Rivers governor Ada George after he was blamed for the crisis in Rivers State.
Wike, via his media aide Lere Olayinka, claimed that the elders were silent when suspended governor Sim Fubara was displaying his excesses, but could now voice out like ‘lost children’.
The minister’s reaction followed George’s allegation that Wike was the one behind the declaration of a state of emergency by President Bola Tinubu.
