*Why Wike’s CSO was removed—POLICE

By Kingsley Omonobi, Jimitota Onoyume &  Levinus Nwabughiogu

Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  in Rivers State, yesterday, traded words over  politically motivated  killings    in the state during the 2015 general polls.

This came as the Police hierarchy, following the controversy trailing the removal of the Chief Security Officer, CSO, attached to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, ahead of the re-run parliamentary elections, has given reasons why the former CSO was removed.

Meanwhile, the Police said they would deploy 18 gunboats, three helicopters and 26,000 men for the rerun election.

Amaechi, a former governor of the state, fired the first shot in Port Harcourt when he accused governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP of being behind killings recorded during the elections, claiming the cache    of arms recovered from repentant cultists    who took advantage of the amnesty programmes of the state government recently were clear evidence of what were used to perpetrate the killings.

Amaechi

He said he had told members of APC to defend their votes and also protect their lives in the Saturday rerun elections.

“Before now, l used to tell my party members to vote and protect their votes, but there have been complains of indecent attacks from the PDP. So, l have asked APC members to protect their votes and their lives as well, because the PDP cannot be bigger than everybody everywhere,” Amaechi explained.

According to him, “Wike has not denied he did not kill people, he sponsored those who carried arms in the 2015 general elections, even, during the campaigns, our people were beaten, manhandled and others threatened, leaving many dead. But, we will not continue to allow these things to happen like that. Members of the PDP were also responsible for killing APC members in Omoku.”

Reacting, the PDP blamed Amaechi and the APC for the politically related killings in the state, alleging  that under Amaechi as governor, the state had the highest number of cult groups in the state.

Publicity secretary of the party, Mr Samuel Nwonosike, who spoke to newsmen, said the allegations by the Minister were a clear plot to divert attention from his alleged plan to unleash violence and killings in the state in the rerun elections.

He accused leadership of the APC of allegedly boasting about making the state  ungovernable, saying that security operatives should closely monitor APC leaders to ensure their alleged plot to unleash violence in the state during the rerun polls was foiled.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George, who also spoke, said Governor Wike did not need arms to defeat the APC in the state in any elections, noting that the state was entirely a PDP state.

On the removal of Governor Wike’s Chief Security Officer, a statement by Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Don Awunah, said: “The Nigeria Police Force have observed the innuendos, distortion of facts and wild allegations peddled in the mass media following the redeployment of the Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the governor of Rivers State, DSP Promise Nwosu, as a result of gross professional misconduct.

It will be recalled that on November 17, 2016, during peaceful demonstrations of an opposition party in the state, All Progressives Congress, APC, DSP Promise Nwosu was found among the protesting party faithful in a manner prejudicial to discipline and displaying conduct unexpected of an officer of his caliber and office.

“In the course of monitoring the public protest, an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in Rivers State observed the presence of the CSO among the protesting partisan crowd as illegal, unlawful and outside prescribed schedule of the duties of a CSO. The active presence of the CSO to the governor in a partisan crowd of an opposition party to the governor in a clandestine and suspicious manner was considered mischievous and detrimental to the security of the state and public order and also contrary to his oath of office which constitutes an offence against discipline.

The CSO to the governor, when challenged by a superior officer demonstrated brazen indiscipline and showed disrespect to the senior officer, exhibiting conduct that violates all known norms of the force.

“Accordingly, the CSO was officially queried for discreditable conduct, insubordination, engaging in partisan political activities, illegal duty and acts unbecoming of a public officer. As a result of such gross misconduct and apparent partisanship, the IGP ordered the redeployment of the CSO pending further disciplinary action. To this end, the IGP has also constituted an investigative inquiry into the officer’s open engagement in political activities, disrespect to senior officers and unethical practices.”