In the late hours of Sunday night, armed police officers and alleged political thugs are said to have raided Edison Ehie’s (the factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly) Port Harcourt home.
Amidst the chaos that overtook the state legislature, Edison Ehie, the former Leader of the State House of Assembly, proclaimed himself the Speaker. This was covered by Anaedoonline.ng.
Together with two other House members, about 24 legislators made the decision to remove Edison Ehie from his position as leader of the House.
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Last month, Ehie announced his candidature for Speaker, claiming he had been overwhelmingly chosen by 26 lawmakers after this suspension. He also declared that a few of his coworkers will be suspended.
It’s unknown what exactly happened during the raid on Ehie’s house, and whether any casualties or property was damaged.
However, rumours indicate that Ehie’s security forces were effective in stopping the attack, which was thought to be an attempt at assassination.
The event started when 27 members, under the direction of House Speaker Martin Amaewhule, left for Abuja in what Amaewhule described as a capacity-building effort.
When questioned, state police command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said she had not received the report. She did, however, promise to look into it and provide an update.
She had not kept her word as of Monday morning.
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In the meantime, a statement purporting to be from Ken Uchendu—the Legislative Correspondent of the State House of Assembly—was leaked to the press and described the assault as an attempt at assassination.
The statement claimed that the attacker, along with unidentified accomplices, was the commander of a state police tactical squad.
Senior police personnel were held accountable for any damage that could befall the incoming Speaker and his household in the statement, which served as a warning.
It also gave the public peace of mind by assuring them that CCTV footage of the incident will be made public for verification and documentation purposes.
The statement read, “At about 11 pm on Sunday, November 19, 2023, a group of armed thugs and police officers attached to the CTU B 3 RSV attacked the private residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, fully armed with an intention to assassinate Speaker and his family.
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“However, the thugs and the police officers were vehemently repelled in a gun battle by the official security details attached to the Speaker.
“It is imperative to note that the armed rogues and officers were properly and fully captured by CCTV footage in the residence, which shall be made available to all media houses, including CNN, Aljazeera and other national and international media outlets, for the records.
“Let it be on record that Rivers people, boys, girls, women, men including the aged shall in our numbers occupy the streets naked in demonstration against the Nigerian Police and those sponsoring violence in Rivers State, no matter how highly placed, Rivers people will resist them.
“Finally, should there be a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu should hold the Rivers State Police Command and their sponsors in Rivers State responsible.”
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