The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed shock at the news of the shooting of Senator Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), and Chief Tony Okocha, Chief of Staff to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the killing of five children of Rivers State extraction by men of the Nigeria Police at a rally in Port Harcourt.

A statement by the Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said the interim state Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said he could not understand why policemen paid with taxpayers’ money could turn their guns against the people, including prominent citizens who are well known to them.

“We wish to unequivocally condemn this premeditated murder of our five children andattempted murder of two prominent and innocent Rivers citizens by the State Police

Command, which seems happy to transform into an army of occupation instead of discharging its constitutional role of safeguarding lives and property. This is a declaration of war on Rivers State and its people.

“We are holding the state Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Mbu, responsible for the deaths of five innocent kids that maybe our future political leaders by his agents of darkness and the attempted murder on Senator Abe and Chief Okocha since the shooting was carried out by a team of regular police and mobile policemen from MOPOL 19 on the orders of CP Mbu.

Acting on CP Mbu’s orders, the trigger-happy policemen had stormed the APC rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement at the College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, and started shooting rubber bullets and teargas canisters to disperse the crowd.

One of the rubber bullets hit Senator Abe, who fell to the ground and would have died instantly if his aides had not quickly grabbed him and rushed him to a hospital in D/Line in Port Harcourt.

It is reported that the case of the Senator is very critical and has already been flown abroad foradequate and proper medical attention. Chief Okocha’s case is a bit better as he was only shot on his legs and may be crippled for life if urgent attention is not given to him.

“The police ordered everybody to vacate the venue. Several persons were injured as they scampered for safety. The police insisted that the rally must not hold, claiming that it would constitute a breach of the peace – a very spurious claim. And we are talking of a rally aimed at mobilising the public on the agenda of a political Movement, of which the police was duly informed!

“We have shouted ourselves hoarse that CP Mbu is on a mission to cause mayhem and insecurity in Rivers State but, sadly, the powers that brought him to Rivers State for this mission not only continued to sustain him but also continued to empower him in his acts of impunity in Rivers State. This single man has on various occasions abused, insulted and vilified our elected State Governor in the person of Gov.Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, claiming that he (Mbu) is the Chief Security Officer of Rivers State and not the Governor as stipulated by the Constitution of the Federal Republic Nigeria.

“This single man has on various occasions given police cover to GDI, the political pressure group of President Goodluck Jonathan and Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, while denying the same services to other political groups in Rivers State, including Save Rivers State Movement while we sustain the Police with Rivers State fund. This single man since he came to Rivers State has promoted criminality in various ways and has even made himself a member of PDP, attending their meetings!

“The National Assembly has found this man guilty and asked for his redeployment to no avail! The Rivers State Government and various pressure groups have called for his redeployment to no avail, all because the Federal Government is bent on using him to cause a war in Rivers State!

“In view of the foregoing, we wish to make it clear that the blood of the five innocent kids that were slaughtered by the Police are on CP Mbu’s head and also on the heads of his sponsors. We meanwhile appeal to Nigerians to join us in praying for the survival of Senator Abe and Chief Okocha. By God’s grace, we shall overcome as the plot of intimidation will not deter us from salvaging Rivers State from the PDP led Federal Government whose hatred and disdain on our people are now legendary,” the APC chairman concluded.