Police dismiss assassination attempt on factional Rivers speaker

Mr Olatunji Disu, Commissioner of Police in Rivers, has dismissed claims of an assassination attempt on the factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Edison Ehie.

Disu told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday that the command had launched full investigation to ascertain the claims made by the speaker.

Ehie (PDP Ahoada-East II) had claimed that police officers in mufti shot sporadically while attempting to force their way into his private residence to assassinate him but were resisted by policemen attached to him.

But the police commissioner described what happened at Ehie’s residence as a routine police patrol.

“The preliminary investigations we have done so far have not revealed any assassination attempt on the speaker.

“All I know was that Police officers were on convoy patrol which is a routine thing.

“We have made frantic efforts to get across to the leader to give us information he has, so that we can include it with the information we already have.

Disu pleaded with the factional speaker to come forward and file an official complaint to enable the police to conclude their investigation on the alleged attack.

“So far so good, as there is nothing to worry about.

“My number is going to be made public so that they can call me quickly to enable me to look quickly into it (the allegation).

“For now, I haven’t gotten anything (complaints) like that,” he added.

It was reported that Ehie was sworn in as speaker by lawmakers believed to be loyal to Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers.

The lawmakers had ousted the former speaker, Martins Amaewhule (Obio Akpor constituency), a close ally of a former governor, after he led some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against Fubara.

However, Amaewhule insists that he is still the speaker of the House of Assembly, resulting in leadership confusion over the Speaker’s Office.