Late on Sunday night, reports emerged of an alleged raid on the residence of Edison Ehie, the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, in Port Harcourt. The incident apparently involved a group of individuals believed to be armed police officers and suspected political thugs.
Edison Ehie, who previously served as the Leader of the State House of Assembly, had declared himself as the Speaker amidst a period of turmoil within the state legislature. In response to his actions, 24 lawmakers decided to suspend Ehie from his role as House leader, along with two other members of the house.
In defiance of his suspension, Ehie proclaimed himself some of his fellow colleagues.
The specifics of the attack on Ehie’s residence remain unclear, and it remains uncertain whether any damage was caused or if any casualties occurred during the invasion. However, reports indicate that Ehie’s security details were able to successfully thwart the attack, which is suspected to have been an assassination attempt.
This incident unfolded while 27 lawmakers, led by House Speaker Martin Amaewhule, were on a retreat to Abuja, which Amaewhule described as a capacity-building initiative.
When asked about the alleged raid, Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the state police command, stated that she had not received any reports regarding the incident. However, she assured that an investigation would be conducted, and updates would be provided.
As of Monday morning, no further updates from Grace Iringe-Koko or the state police command have been made available. Meanwhile, a statement attributed to Ken Uchendu, identified as the Legislative Correspondent of the State House of Assembly, was circulated to the media, describing the attack as an assassination attempt.
The statement alleged that the assailant, along with unidentified accomplices, was identified as the leader of a police tactical unit in the state. In addition, it held senior police officers accountable for any harm faced by the new Speaker and his household.
Moreover, the statement reassured the public that video evidence of the incident, which was captured by CCTV cameras, would be released to confirm the events and maintain records.
According to the statement, the attack took place at approximately 11 pm on Sunday, November 19, 2023. A group of armed thugs, accompanied by police officers from the CTU B 3 RSV, targeted the private residence of Edison Ehie, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, with the intention to assassinate him and his family.
However, the official security details assigned to the Speaker courageously repelled the armed thugs and police officers in a fierce gun battle.
It is crucial to highlight that the CCTV footage taken inside the residence captured the identities of the armed assailants and police officers involved. This footage will be made available to various media outlets, including CNN, Aljazeera, and other national and international channels, to preserve the records of the incident.
We hereby declare that the citizens of Rivers State, regardless of age or gender, will unequivocally take to the streets sans clothing as a form of protest against both the Nigerian Police and those individuals who finance acts of violence within our region. It is important to note that no matter how influential these culprits may be, the people of Rivers State will adamantly oppose their actions. Moreover, if any situation arises where law and order deteriorate within Rivers State, it is imperative that President Bola Tinubu rightfully places blame on both the Rivers State Police Command and those individuals who support their unlawful activities within our state.”
