NIGERIA (Rivers)- The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, yesterday ordered the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, to provide Police protection for the pro-Amaechi Save Rivers Movement (SRM) rally holding at Bori-Ogoni, today.

This was disclosed in a statement released by the Chief of Staff at Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, adding that the rally would be peaceful.
The rally will be attended by the state Governor Rotimi Amaechi and he vowed, as he did last week when the last rally was disrupted that he was ready for the bullets of militants allegedly hired to cause trouble.

The militants, who disrupted last Sunday’s rally at Bori, have threatened to stike again today.
But the Governor through Okocha insisted that there was no going back on the rally.
He said: “Arrangements are in top gear. We have just been reliably informed that the Rivers Commissioner of Police has directed the Area Commander in Bori to provide adequate security for the rally in Bori.

“Governor Amaechi also called the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar.

“If the militants are still threatening to disrupt the rally, it is for the police to fish them out. That is why they are in charge of security.

“If a particular area, as large as the Ogoni axis is, is characterised by lawlessness, no governor will allow it. We are not cowards. We are ready to take the militants’ bullets. The teeming supporters of the Governor Amaechi are ready to receive the SRM leaders and members in Ogoni.

“Governor Amaechi has promised to lead the SRM rally in Bori. We are in a civilised society. A leader must show good examples. Those who are saying the Rivers governor must first hold the rescheduled rally at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, disrupted on January 12, and not in Bori, which was prevented from holding on January 19, are missing the point.

“Port Harcourt rally of the SRM was disrupted by the police, while militants prevented that of Bori with sporadic gunshots. The governor must prove that he is fully in charge, as the Chief Security Officer of the state.

Meanwhile, Okocha said the U-turn by the police has never won the trust of the Rivers government.
“He (Mbu) is a politician. We informed the Rivers Commissioner of Police, through the SRM’s lawyer, Barr. Ken Atsuwete, of the January 12 and 19 rallies, for police protection, which could not be provided,” he said.

Meanwhile, a group of Ogoni elders, under the aegis of “Concerned Ogoni Elders’ Forum” asked Amaechi to reconsider the proposed rally in the interest of peace and tranquillity.

The elders, in a communiqué at the end of a meeting made up of the leader of Ogoni PDP members/ former chairman of Gokana LGA Fred Kpakol and some other PDP stalwarts, warned against any rally by any political group without police permit across the four LGAs that make up Ogoni (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme).

They accused the state government and other politicians of using Ogoni as demonstration field for political violence, and vowed to resist any move by any group or government to contravene the order.