Rivers tribunal: Drama as police make U-turn


MILD drama played out before the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal yesterday, as the Nigerian Police Force, which earlier testified that the April 11 gubernatorial election in the state was marred by violence, reversed itself, saying the poll was peaceful and credibly conducted.
Police went ahead to disown the testimony of previous officers that were brought to testify before the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

Those that testified for the police yesterday were an Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP, Mr. Akugbo Kenneth and Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Mr. Uche Mike Chukwuma.
In his evidence-in-chief yesterday, ASP Kenneth, who is currently at the force intelligence Unit in Lagos, told the court that he was incharge of police officers that monitored election at Gokana and Eleme Local Government Areas of the state during the election.

He insisted that there was no form of violence or ballot box snatching in all the polling units his team patrolled on the election day, saying it was not true that armed thugs carted away election materials meant for the two local government areas under his supervision.

Spirited attempt by counsel to the petitioners, Chief Akinolu Olujunmi, SAN, to stop the witness from testifying before the tribunal yesterday was overruled by the Justice Suleiman Ambrosa-led panel.

Olujunmi had argued that ASP Kenneth was not a proper witness, noting that the subpoena that was served on him by the tribunal was not properly addressed.

Meantime, the DW-13, CSP Chukwuma, in his own testimony yesterday, told the tribunal that as at April 11 when the election held, he was the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, incharge of Ahoda East LGA.

According to him, “I played a major role during the election, as a matter of fact, my role started on April 10. In the morning of that day I had a lecture with my men and tutored them on the role they were expected to play as security agents monitoring election.

“My lords, around 10:30am, I led two patrol vans with full crew of personnel and escorted the electoral officer of Ahoda East, Mrs. Beauty Abebunwa and some of her staff to INEC office in Port Harcourt to retrieve electoral materials.
“At about 4pm that same day, she (Abebunwa) told me that she has gotten the materials for Ahoda Eats and that we should go back, so we escorted her back to Ahoda East”.

He told the tribunal that the electoral materials were distributed to INEC officers at three RAC centers situated at Edogha, Ahoda Central and Odiomarenyi.

“These three RAC centers are in the three sub-clans in Ahoda East, which are, Upata clan, Igbo-Ahoda and Akoh. That night I was on patrol all through with two patrol vans.

“In the morning of April 11, sister agencies comprising of the Nigeria Prison Service, Immigration , Federal Road Safety Commission and Civil Defence, sent there men to join my men on ground already.

“In all, I had 305 uniformed personnel physically posted to me for deployment. When INEC finished distribution of election materials that morning, I poster unarmed uniformed men to the various polling units. At Ahoda East we had about 154 polling units divided into two constituencies.
“Within constituency one, I posted 110 police men, and 195 police men at constituency two. I had two patrol vehicles sent to me from the state headquarters.

“I can testify that accreditation began around 8am and I monitored the process with the Electoral Officer. At about 12:30, accreditation stopped. Within 1:30 to 2pm, voting started. I had two patrol vehicles attached to me directly. In the course of my whole patrol, I did not witness any violence or snatching of electoral materials”.

Asked under cross-examination if he knew DS P Chisom Ezebuiro, who had in his testimony as the PW-51, alleged that Ahoda East was a bed of violence on April 11, CSP Chukwuma, told the tribunal that Ezebuiro lied on oath.

He said: “I know Ezebuiro very well, he played a passive role in that election. He only brought in his men for deployment. When I was going on patrol, I asked him to join my team as a gesture of friendship but he refused, saying he was not feeling fine. Until the election ended, he was at the station and did not go out.

“If he came before this tribunal and testified that there was violence during the election then he lied. I was the DPO incharge of Ahoda East. If there was any violence it would have been brought to my notice. There was no such incident, I cannot imagine where he got his information.

“It is not true that Rivers state was a volatile state. I am a Rivers state man by birth, compared to other states, it will be wrong for anyone to come before this tribunal to say that violence marred the governorship election that held in the state on April 11”, he added.

Asked by counsel to the petitioners if he was not the same person that tear-gased Senator Magnus Abe during a rally the APC held on January 3, the witness, denied the allegation, saying he is a friend to the Senator.

He however admitted that he was sent to go and disperse those that held the APC rally following an intelligent report that the gathering could lead to breach of peace in the state.

It will be recalled that some security operatives who were deployed to Rivers State during the election, had in their separate testimonies before the tribunal, maintained that nefarious activities of armed thugs scared voters away on that election day.

The security agents who were brought to the tribunal by the petitioners, testified that at various polling units, thugs who they said shot sporadically into the air, manhandled INEC ad-hoc staff, snatched election materials and ran inside bush.
In his testimony, DDP Ezebuiro who is from Mopol 48, PMF, Ahoda, told the court that no accreditation or election held in the area.

He told the tribunal that a leader of a cult group identified as ‘The Icelanders’, one Martins Mana, who he said was arrested by Soldiers with an AK-47, was quickly released.

The witness said despite the restriction on movement, he said people freely moved about in cars, speedboats and bicycles on the election day.
Similarly, the PW-50, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, Yusuf Buba from 56 police mobile force squadron Ogoni, said he witnessed massive thumb-printing of ballot papers at a football pitch situated inside a police station.

He told the tribunal that an Assistant Commissioner of Police and the Electoral Officer incharge of Kana local government area in the state, masterminded the electoral malpractice.

He said: “At Boni Area Command, I met people thumb printing in a football field. I immediately disembarked and went to the Area commander’s office where I met the E.O. seated in his office.
“I reported to him about what I saw and he said I should mind my business. I was left with no option that to leave his office and continue my patrol. We visited various other places like Gwara, Okpoku, Banga, Daaba, Kor, Lubara, Uiikara, Sogo and what I noticed was that there was no election taking place in all those places.

“I called my squadron commander and gave him the SitRep and he asked me to keep watching. We returned back to INEC office after our patrol. At There I was told that the materials that where released in the early morning were all snatched at gun point. When I asked about the police men on duty I was told that all of them took to their heels”.
His evidence was however refuted by 16 witnesses that were earlier produced before the tribunal by INEC.

Meanwhile, governor Wike who has so far called 13 witnesses will continue the defence of election victory before the tribunal today.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/rivers-tribunal-drama-as-police-make-u-turn/

Ops... Supporting fraud since 13BC. Wike is going down

Police can lie ehn......

hassan85:
Ops... Supporting fraud since 13BC. Wike is going down

Olodo!! APC has no case,they better forget about Rivers and the east as a whole.

wetn concern me
abeg

i wantu cook JOLLOF... should i Use Rice??

“If he came before this tribunal and testified that there was violence during the election then he lied. I was the DPO incharge of Ahoda East. If there was any violence it would have been brought to my notice. There was no such incident, I cannot imagine where he got his information.

God Bless This DPO! Wike carry goooooooooooooooo!

chukwudi44:


Olodo!! APC has no case,they better forget about Rivers and the east as a whole.

lol. Its too early to exchange words with u. Even International Observers said No elections held in rivers. Video evidences too. But u? Pachukudi44, am not suprised. U always promoting thiefs just like u are. 4m GEJ, to Saraki [new igbo man in town], to Alison Madueke, to okojo, to PEJ, fayose, FFK, olisa metuh, wike, orji... Fraud is wat u represend. Wike is going down. Quote me anywhere

hassan85:
lol. Its too early to exchange words with u. Even International Observers said No elections held in rivers. Video evidences too. But u? Pachukudi44, am not suprised. U always promoting thiefs just like u are. 4m GEJ, to Saraki [new igbo man in town], to Alison Madueke, to okojo, to PEJ, fayose, FFK, olisa metuh, wike, orji... Fraud is wat u represend. Wike is going down. Quote me anywhere

Empty barrels make the loudest noise. Where you in River state on that day? Better focus on your boko haram infested Bornu and leave Rivers alone

TonyeBarcanista:

God Bless This DPO! Wike carry goooooooooooooooo!

hypocracy thats ur moto. Go tell Deziani maduake to Carry Gooo again na. Baba is coming for all of u. All of u. But y has wike and Fayose suddenly stopped releasing statements?? Lets have Minister of Justice first u will have plenty tings to write den. Keep wailing

chukwudi44:


Olodo!! APC has no case,they better forget about Rivers and the east as a whole.

i keep telling them that

even their all righteous jega confirmed that .

hypocrisy is when apc believed that jega conducted free and fair election only to disagree with same jega on rivers matter

oyel state dey sweet oooo


rivers state = 13 apc states

APC is a joke! Thinking they can win Rivers is a crime, believing it is evil!

chukwudi44:

Empty barrels make the loudest noise. Where you in River state on that day? Better focus on your boko haram infested Bornu and leave Rivers alone

haha Irony. NAIRALANDers HAS known already with dt qualification as a certified EMPTY BARREL. May I ask u, where u at CCB when SARAKI submited false ASSETs? Mr Chukufraud44?

hassan85:
hypocracy thats ur moto. Go tell Deziani maduake to Carry Gooo again na. Baba is coming for all of u. All of u. But y has wike and Fayose suddenly stopped releasing statements?? Lets have Minister of Justice first u will have plenty tings to write den. Keep wailing

Lolz empty noise as usual!! So who have prevented Buhari from appointing AGF since May? Diezani is in her London mansion enjoying herself as we speak so kini big deal? Fayose ke? What can your illiterate General do to him?

hassan85:
haha Irony. NAIRALANDers HAS known already with dt qualification as a certified EMPTY BARREL. May I ask u, where u at CCB when SARAKI submited false ASSETs? Mr Chukufraud44?

Olodo this thread is about the rivers state tribunal sitting and not Saraki

chukwudi44:

Lolz empty noise as usual!! So who have prevented Buhari from appointing AGF since May? Diezani is in her London mansion enjoying herself as we speak so kini big deal? Fayose ke? What can your illiterate General do to him?

In another News, IGP order for arrest of bribed thiefs in police colour that testified in favour of Wike. I told u pdp kinda fraud doesnt work again. Go digital not ds wailing and outmodern methods.

TonyeBarcanista:

God Bless This DPO! Wike carry goooooooooooooooo!

That is how you said Jonathan will win and he lost. My guy go back to trading, you no get luck for this kain thing,buhahahahahaha!

hassan85:
In another News, IGP order for arrest of bribed thiefs in police colour that testified in favour of Wike. I told u pdp kinda fraud doesnt work again. Go digital not ds wailing and outmodern methods.

Ode the IGP is not a member of the election tribunal,his action further lends credence to the officer's testimony. Wike's defense is further strengthened

chukwudi44:

Olodo this thread is about the rivers state tribunal sitting and not Saraki

yes river state tribunal and ur fraudlent image and representation of fraud from time past!

chukwudi44:

Ode the IGP is not a member of the election tribunal,his action further lends credence to the officer's testimony. Wike's defense is further strengthened

haha.. Wail on

I don't care we wins on Rivers, though I know it will take a Miracle for APC to win the state but to say elections held there without violence is a very big Lie. That DPO should be stripped.

hassan85:
haha.. Wail on

Mumu

AlPeter:
I don't care we wins on Rivers, though I know it will take a Miracle for APC to win the state but to say elections held there without violence is a very big Lie. That DPO should be stripped.

The DPO said there was no violence in his division!! Why should I believe otherwise

chukwudi44:

The DPO said there was no violence in his division!! Why should I believe otherwise

because eye witness accounts says otherwise, you obviously have not seen the police lie before.

Na wah o!

AlPeter:


because eye witness accounts says otherwise, you obviously have not seen the police lie before.

Which stupid eye witness account? Is the DPO,INEC presiding officers, and even members of the clergy who testified for Wike nose witnesses?

TonyeBarcanista:

God Bless This DPO! Wike carry goooooooooooooooo!

you are calling God? to bless him? Can you swear to the same God and say which of the 2 accounts is the truth? And a bunch of low lives would come out and crown this thing as their chief wailer? And call him objective? Really Sorry for you!

The police men that gave this testimonies should be arrested and persecuted because we all saw how the election was conducted and no Jupiter we should come and say otherwise. However, Wike the interrum your days are numbered while KIRI KIRI Prison awaits you! !!

Anti corruption song go viral

sammyj:
The police men that gave this testimonies should be arrested and persecuted because we all saw how the election was conducted and no Jupiter we should come and say otherwise. However, Wike the interrum your days are numbered while KIRI KIRI Prison awaits you! !!

Mumu are you omnipresent? How could you have seen the events happening in River state from your mud house in osun state

.... all hail Chukwudi44 the advocate and defender of corruption in Nigeria!!!

chukwudi44:

Mumu are you omnipresent? How could you have seen the events happening in River state from your mud house in osun state