Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, who was shot at a rally in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has been flown to London, United Kingdom, early this morning after the doctors stabilised him. This was comfirmed to CEOAFRICA through our source at the hospital.

Meanwhile The Rivers State Police Command has denied shooting Magnus Abe, a senator from Rivers state who was reportedly hit by officers dispersing a political rally in Port Harcourt Sunday.

A police spokesperson called the reports “a blatant lie.”

But a spokesperson for the state police command, Ahmad Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES that reports about the police using maximum force to disperse the rally were untrue and misleading.

“For anybody to say that Senator Magnus Abe was shot at is a blatant lie and a misleading statement,” Mr. Muhammad said.

He said the police used “minimum force” to disperse the rally and did not expend a single bullet.

“We used minimum force to disperse them and not even a single ammunition was shot. I repeat it; not a single ammunition was expended,” he said.

Mr. Muhammad said the Save Rivers Movement flouted an existing ban on political rallies in the state and refused to seek approval before staging one.

“This same group knows about the ban which still in full force. During the launch of their group last year, they informed the police and they were given adequate security in Elekahia then. How come did they decided to carry out a rally without informing the police today?” he queried.

But an aide to Mr. Abe, Honour Sirawoo, insisted the lawmaker was hit by a rubber bullet fired by the police. He said the bullet hit Mr. Abe on the chest and was taken to hospital for treatment, NAN reported.

He said the Senator had gone to supervise preparations for the rally when he was attacked at about 9.00 am on Sunday.

The Rivers Commissioner for Information, Mr Ibim Semenitari   said: “Today’s (yesterday’s) attack on the members of the SRM, a Non-Governmental Organisation, at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt and especially the unprovoked shooting of Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, is cause for worry and an indication of the length that the PDP is willing to go to silence opposing views.

“The Rivers State government has it on good authority that Senator Abe took the bullet originally meant for Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who was billed to be present at the event. This is disconcerting, especially in the light of recent revelations that the Presidency may be training snipers ahead of the 2015 elections and that Governor Amaechi is top on the list of those to be eliminated.

“The Rivers State government wishes to request the Federal Government and its agencies to respect the rules of democratic engagement in their misguided fight against the people of Rivers State and especially save our nation from the unnecessary chaos, into which federal agents such as Mbu want to plunge it, ahead of the 2015 elections.”

The Rivers government called for Mbu’s redeployment to stop him from turning the state into a graveyard, in view of his intolerance and unprofessional behaviour.

Semenitari noted that Mbu would prefer to be a “policetician” rather than a responsible police officer, but requested that he should attempt to at least protect the lives and property of the poor Rivers taxpayers, who had been paying his salaries.

More Details to come later.........

Previous UPDATE:  7:14PM , Nigeria Time, 12-01-2014

The political crisis rocking Rivers State further heightened on Sunday when men of the State Police Command shot the senator representing Rivers South East district, Senator Magnus Abe twice with rubber bullets.

 The Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Tony Okocha, was also shot on his leg with tear-gas canister.

 Both men were among several others who sustained injuries when police disrupted a rally of the Safe Rivers Movement at the Rivers State College of Arts and Sciences on Sunday.

 The rally was to be used to shore up support for the senator, a loyalist of Mr. Amaechi, who decamped with the governor to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, confirmed the attack to CEOAFRICA  reporter.The commissioner said the senator was shot with a rubber bullet at point blank range and has since been admitted in an unnamed hospital.

 CEOAFRICA put a call through to the Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) DSP. Ahmad K Muhammad  but he did not respond to the call as at the time of publishing.

More details to come………