In continuation of the violence that marred the poll in some areas of the state on Saturday, the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, escaped death by a whisker on Sunday when a group of gunmen opened fire on his vehicle.
Punch reports that while Peterside was lucky to have escaped death, his orderly, Emma Esi, was cut down by the bullets of the assailants.
Also, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday, alleged that the Personal Assistant to his Chief of Staff was killed by security operatives.
Wike said, “My Chief of Staff called me and said that they shot his PA and as we speak with you, he is dead.”
It was gathered that Peterside’s vehicle was also conveying the Rivers State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ikanya, and a former House of Representatives member, Honourable Asita, when the incident happened.
Peterside was said to have been trailed by the gunmen, a development that forced his driver to make a detour to the office of the Department of State Services located at Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
SKYTREND NEWS gathered that Peterside decided to move to the DSS office to escape from the suspected assailants, who, however, followed their target to the office.
The gunmen were said to have fired sporadically for about 35 minutes, a development that scared motorists and passersby on the Forces Avenue.
Peterside, in a statement in Port Harcourt, said, “Two Jeeps belonging to Emeka Woke, Nyesom Wike’s Chief of Staff, carrying two unknown gunmen, trailed us to UTC Junction and opened fire on my car. Our car, however, did a detour to the DSS office gate, where we drove to seek refuge but the unknown gunmen opened fire again on the SSS men on guard.
“The exchange of fire between the DSS men and the assailants lasted for more than 30 minutes. This is a very ugly experience but I thank God that my colleagues and I escaped unhurt. Today’s experience is not only terrifying but also shows the parlous state of security in Rivers State.
“If I can be engaged openly by gunmen for nearly an hour in the heart of Port Harcourt, only God knows the fate that will befall members of our party and those sympathetic to our predicament. What is happening today in our dear state is not only horrible, but also constitutes serious national security risk.”
But Wike, according to Punch reports, told newsmen in Port Harcourt on Sunday that the Personal Assistant to his Chief of Staff was killed by security operatives.
He said a group of men escorted by security operatives, had gone to the Ikwerre Local Government Area to hijack election materials and one of the people, who went after the men, was the personal assistant to his aide.
The governor stated that the man, who was not named, was shot while trying to ensure that the stolen election materials were retrieved.
Punch reports that Mr. Emeka Woke, the Chief of Staff, to Governor Wike has been arrested by the Department Of StatE Services (DSS) in Port Harcourt.
The Commander of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Brig.-Gen. Stephenson Olabanji, also confirmed the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government of Rivers State.
Also confirmed to have been arrested is a Special Assistant to the governor.
Olabanji disclosed this on Sunday at a joint security news conference in Port Harcourt.
He said both men were arrested in the Gokana and Khana Local Government Areas on Saturday for allegedly committing electoral offences.
The commander said:
“Many people were arrested yesterday for disrupting the electoral process and the law is not meant for just the lower cadre alone.
“No matter who you are, if you go against the law, you will definitely face the music.
“So, there is nothing like being Secretary to the State Government; many people were arrested as you have been told; a lot of people were arrested.”
Meanwhile a few of the results of the National and State Assembly rerun, held on Saturday, were released on Sunday with the Peoples Democratic Party leading in the few results.
In the results, the PDP has won 10 out of the 11 state constituencies where election was not cancelled.
The results, which were declared at the state constituencies of the Independent National Electoral Commission, indicated that the APC won in only the Bonny Local Government Area while the PDP won in Ahoada, Akuku-Toru, Omuma, Degema, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, Emuoha, Obio/Akpor and in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGAs.
