The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has decried the consistent intimidation and pressure on his witnesses testifying in the on-going governorship election tribunal in Abuja.
According to reports, heavily Armed Department of State Services (DSS) operatives were said to have stormed the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to arrest a retired subpoenaed commander of the service who testified that the election was peaceful, credible and without cases of violence.
A statement from the Governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, said the Retired DSS Commander, Emmanuel Philips, testified before the tribunal on Saturday and “shortly after he started his testimony, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s officials rushed out and placed calls.”
He added: “Few minutes later, armed DSS operatives, numbering about 20, arrived the court premises at Apo in Abuja. Some of the operatives were stationed downstairs and others climbed to the second floor of the tribunal to attempt arresting the DSS operative.”
He was holed up in the tribunal for 20 minutes after his testimony, before lawyers of the respondents escorted him to the vehicle, insisting that the DSS operatives present their warrant of arrest from a court of competent jurisdiction.
When it was obvious that they had none, the lawyers led the retired DSS Commander to his car and he drove off. The DSS operatives drove after him.
“On Friday, the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, made an attempt to arrest the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Akuki Kenneth, who testified, but was resisted by lawyers,” Nwakaudu alleged.
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