ACN, CPC Accuse Police Of Bias In Rivers House Of Assembly Crisis

Rivers-State-Gov.-Mr-Rotimi-Amaechi-MbuThe Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have accused the Nigeria Police of taking sides in their handling of investigations into the Rivers State House of Assembly crisis.

In separate reactions Thursday, the opposition parties questioned the rationale behind the police’s decision to declare the majority leader of the state assembly, Chidi Lloyd, a known Governor Rotimi Amaechi supporter, wanted.

They also flayed the decision of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to change Amaechi’s security aides without his prior knowledge or consent.

ACN in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, adviced the police to be more circumspect and avoid appearing to taking sides as they investigate the crisis.

Mr. Mohammed said,  “The fact that only the security aides of Governor Chibuike Amaechi have been invited to Abuja for questioning by the police hierarchy, and also the fact that only the majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Chidi Lloyd, has been declared wanted, have provided an insight into the thinking of the police on the issue.”

He also raised eyebrows on why the Rivers Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, “who provided cover for the five renegade lawmakers to attack the House as well as the leader of the renegade lawmakers Evans Bipi, who allegedly started the crisis, are not invited.”

The party said, “As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Definitely there are two sides to every issue, including the crisis that rocked the House of Assembly last week.

“It therefore amounts to a warped investigation to focus only on one side as the police appear to be doing.

“This kind of investigation can only lead to jungle justice and further erode the credibility of the police, who have now descended into the arena instead of staying above the fray.”

In his own reaction, National Publicity Secretary of the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said, “This makes the call for state police to assume some greater crescendo.

“A situation, in which the police have patently showed its partisanship by inviting Chidi Lloyd for using the fake mace to break the head of the other lawmaker, who was part of the renegade five that attempted to commit sacrilege on the floor of the House, leaving out the others, is improper.”