NIGERIA (Rivers)- Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were dispersed by the Rivers State Police Command with teargas on Thursday.

CEOAFRICA.com gathered that following a court order which invalidated the appropriation of the House’s functions by the National Assembly, 22 lawmakers who were said to be loyal to Governor Rotimi Amaechi came to the Assembly Complex for plenary, but they were barred from entering the complex by the police.

According to sources, the lawmakers, having pleaded to be granted access into the building, decided to commence sitting on the main road opposite the Assembly Complex after the leader of the Police team, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in-charge of Port Harcourt Area Command, Mr. Aliyu Garba, insisted that they must show him a written permission of the state the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu.

However, they were dispersed with several canisters of teargas fired at them by the police who were well armed with two armoured vehicles and 20 patrol cars. The lawmakers were forced to scramble for safety.

It was gathered that the tear-gas also affected the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Hon. Tony Okocha, interim Chairman of APC in the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, chairmen of some local government council as well as journalists, who had come to cover the resumption of the House of Assembly.

In his reaction to the incident,  the interim chairman of APC in the state, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said there was a plot by the police to sneak in the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers to carry out the duties of the state legislature.

“You have seen the situation in Rivers State. You have been here with us to see how power is being used against the people.

“Today, the majority of the members of the House of Assembly came and sought to see the Commissioner of Police because, there was a High Court judgement in Abuja that said they should resume their duties.

“But, surprisingly, the police commissioner has refused to grant entry to these people.

“We suspect very strongly that there is an attempt to allow five lawmakers to sneak into the Assembly to say they are carrying out the functions of the Assembly.

“This was the case when the almost succeeded in impeaching the governor of Rivers State by just five of them in a 32-member House of Assembly.

“Now, the police are barring genuine House of Assembly members from having access to the Assembly building.

“They are also stopping them from having access to the commissioner of Police, to seek protection for them to resume their sitting.

“This is unacceptable to APC as a party in Rivers State. We are saying that the police is being used against genuine people of Rivers State.” Chief Ikanya said.