Explosions, gunfire rock Rivers APC rally

Thousands of All Progressives
Congress supporters scampered to
safety on Tuesday when explosions
and gunshots boomed at the Okrika
National Secondary School Field in
Rivers State.
APC governorship candidate,
Dakuku Peterside, who was to
address the crowd as part of his
electioneering, had to be whisked
away from the scene by security
operatives and his body guards.
About 50 of the APC supporters, four
policemen and a Channels Tv
correspondent, Charles Eruka,
were injured in the attack
believed to have been unleashed
by unknown political thugs.
Another policeman was however
not as lucky as he was shot and
killed. His body was deposited at
the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital
in Port Harcourt.
Eruka, who was stabbed was
rushed to a nearby hospital where
he was as of 7pm receiving
treatment.
The thugs, according to
eyewitnesses, first set off three
Improvised Explosive Devices
within the campaign arena, thereby
causing a stampede at field.
One of them said, “They were
determined to ensure that we did
not hold the rally. When the
explosions happened, Dr. Peterside
had not arrived. But when he
came, they started firing gunshots
for about 45 minutes. Many of us
had to lie flat on the ground to
avoid being hit by bullets.
“But the security agents at the field
and some private body guards
were able to whisk away our
candidate (Peterside) to a safe
place.”
Peterside, who later emerged from
his hideout, said his supporters
would not be intimidated by the
incident.
He said, “We were not expecting
that there would have been a
series of explosions as we heard
this (Tuesday) morning. But we
were very determined and it shows
the Okrika spirit of resilience.
“We were very determined to hold
the rally in honour of the Okrika
spirit of resilience. We were
determined to hold the rally in
honour of the determination of
Okrika people to choose a
government that will fight
insecurity; rescue people from
poverty and create jobs for the
youths.”
He later spoke with journalists in
Port Harcourt where he described
Tuesday as one of his saddest days
as a politician.
He claimed that some people had
seen a lawmaker in the state
leading a group of 50 youths and
directing the shooting in Okrika.
The APC candidate said, “Several
eyewitnesses saw a member of the
Rivers State House of Assembly,
accompanied by men in police
uniform and several other non-
uniformed armed men numbering
in excess of 50 around the venue.
He was seen personally directing
the shooting.
“Today is one of my saddest days as
a politician. The day had started on
a pleasant note when as part of my
campaign rally in Okrika, I visited
the Okrika Grammar School, my
Alma Mater, where I met with the
principal and interacted with the
students.
“From there, I proceeded to pay a
courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of
Ogoloma. While I was at the palace,
reports reached me and my team
that three explosives had been
detonated at the venue of the rally,
National School Field, Okrika.
“Two of the explosives ripped off
parts of the roof of the school
building. The APC members and
leadership at the venue
immediately called in the security
personnel and the anti-bomb
squad who combed the area. It is
important to note that several
other explosives were found by the
team but all normalcy was restored.
“We proceeded from the
Amanyanabo to see the Bishop of
Okrika Diocese, Anglican
Communion Rt. Rev. T. Abere, who
prayed with the team at about 1:30
pm. From the Bishop’s Court, we
headed for the venue and the rally
began in earnest with prayers and
praise and worship.
“A few persons gave solidarity
speeches and while one of our
leaders in Okrika LGA, D.D. Alabere,
was speaking, we started hearing
sporadic gunshots from the back of
National School and from the Okrika
cemetery.
“Five police officers were shot but
one of them is dead. The four
injured policemen are in critical
conditions in the hospital. One
policeman is yet to be accounted
for.
“Some other APC supporters are
still missing while equipment at
the venue was set ablaze. Several
cars, including three belonging to
the police, were destroyed.
The governorship candidate, who
also visited the injured at the BMH,
commended the Police for their
efforts in spite of being
outnumbered by the hoodlums.
Peterside later called off his
proposed rally in Ogu/Bolo Local
Government Area billed for today
(Wednesday) due to the incident in
Okrika, a community a few
kilometres from Oba-Ama, the
hometown of the wife of President
Goodluck Jonathan, Patience.
Governor . Rotimi Amaechi accused
Patience Jonathan of having a hand
in Okrika attack.
“As usual, the wife of the President
won’t allow the APC hold rally in
that place (Okrika). The wife of the
President and the governorship
candidate of Peoples Democratic
Party in Rivers again organised
thugs to disrupt APC rally,’ told told
journalists after an enlarged APC
leaders meeting in Abuja.
Unlike Peterside, the governor
accused the police of failing to
protect APC followers in the state.
He said, “As usual, the police
couldn’t protect us . I asked the
commissioner of police and he said
they had over 200 policemen there.
Yet, three explosions and then they
opened fire on members of the APC.
“We had meetings with DSS
(Directorate of State Security) and
police and they confirmed we could
go ahead. There were 200
policemen and there were over 20
to 30 DSS men who came there and
they did nothing.”
After Amaechi and Peterside
spoke, a member of his campaign
group, told our correspondent that
an APC supporter was also killed by
the hoodlums.
The state Police Command Public
Relations Officer, Ahmad
Mohammad, confirmed that a
policeman lost his life. He however
said that three other policemen
sustained gunshot injuries.
Mohammad added, “The Rivers
State Police Command wishes to
confirm that on 17/02/2015, a
governorship rally by the APC was
disrupted with sporadic shootings
from a far distance to the arena by
unknown and unpatriotic
elements.”

PDP hand is this good morning

Even the deaf and blind know it's from PDP. Useless being

Onu ga ekwu!!!!

eddyvic wrote:

Even the deaf and blind know it's from PDP. Useless being

gbam

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

Onu ga ekwu!!!!

Meaning ?

speaking in tongue

eddyvic wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

Onu ga ekwu!!!!

Meaning ?

u are not qualify to knw

ancl wrote:

speaking in tongue

hmmmmm u no sabi am oh

hahahahah

ancl wrote:

speaking in tongue

Lol, i laugh 4get credentials @ home on an interview day.