Okenyi Kenechi
Soldiers numbering over one hundred, on Thursday, invaded the training ground of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency at Nonwa in Tai Local Government Area and shut the centre down.
The soldiers who chased away the trainees also arrested the coordinator of the agency and the instructors and cordoned off the area.
Some of the trainees who spoke to theportcitynews said the soldiers invaded the training centre in the by 10 am on Thursday while they were settling down and began chasing them away with their whips.
“We were about settling down when they(the soldiers) came and ordered everyone out of the centre.
“They began whipping people and everyone ran for safety. Some of us sustained injuries due to the little stampede that ensured and they asked to return home because what we are doing is illegal”
Rivers State Government on November 20 recruited 3,000 personnel into the state security outfit. The 3,000 personnel, according to the state government, would gather information from communities across the 23 local government areas of the state and pass same to security agencies for relevant action.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Neighbourhood Safety Corps Agency, Brig.-Gen. Dick Ironabare (rtd), said that Rivers people should expect the best from the agency, which would fill the security gap in the state.
He said, “The security gap in the state is the lack of appropriate information to fight crime.
“So, this agency will gather information and intelligence in various communities and pass over to security agencies to act upon.
“Rivers people will benefit in terms of security. We are doing proper screening.
“After the screening, they will go in for training and, thereafter, they will be deployed to the communities”.
However, the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress said that the security outfit is only for election rigging purposes, especially giving the fact that they will be armed, calling it a private army by the state governor aimed at intimidating members of the APC during the 2019 general elections.
However, governor Wike denied such claims, saying that Lagos and Kaduna states which are APC states already have similar outfits.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the agency, Brig Gen Dick Ironabare (rtd) could not be reached for comments.
Also, the APRO of 6 div of Nigerian Army Port Harcourt in a statement sent to Theportcitynews said:
Following intelligence, Nigerian Army has busted a secret recruitment of armed political thugs by an agent of the Rivers State Government.
The recruitment was ongoing in Ogoni area of the State when information filtered.
A contingent of Nigerian Army which was sent to maintain Law and Order were engaged in a gunfire that lasted for over 30mins by the recruits who were being trained on Arms usage.
Many of the recruits were said to have taken to their heels on siting the Army contingent
The public is called upon to apprehend any suspected recruit and hand them over to the Security agencies
Remember, security is a collective responsibility
