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Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, that he is not regretting his decision to proscribe the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Rivers State, saying he took the action because of his belief in the unity of Nigeria. Governor Wike stated this when he played host to a delegation of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
A statement by Kelvin Ebiri, his Special Assistant on Media, said the governor reiterated EndSARS protest was peaceful in the state until ‘IPOB hijacked it, and committed arson by killing six army officers, four police officers, burnt police stations and courts.’
Wike said he could not, as the governor of Rivers watch such lawless acts perpetrated by a people that had been proscribed by the Federal Government. ‘Without any apology, I am a true Nigerian. I believe that things must be done properly in a way that every component part of this country will be satisfied,’ he said.
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He further noted that he had never been against any particular ethnic group living in the state, including every law abiding Igbos, maintained that as a governor ‘he cannot tolerate a situation where some misguided persons under the guise of IPOB would unleash attack on innocent Nigerians in Rivers State.’
The governor said had the State Security Council was not been proactive to impose curfew in the entire Oyigbo Local Government Area, that the situation would have degenerated to war between Igbo and the Hausa community residing in the area.
CNG spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said they were in the state to express their gratitude to the governor for his leadership and statesmanship in protecting northern communities from the violence and violation of their rights and dignity during the mayhem in Oyigbo.
While commending Wike for the financial assistance to policemen affected in the crisis, the group stated, ‘We reasonably believe that if the federal authorities were to emulate the wisdom of offering such incentive to our troops on the front line, it would heighten their morale which is at present very low’.
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