Soldiers said to be from the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt on Wednesday evening, arrested the commissioner of education in Rivers State, Tamununosi Gogo Jaja.
The reason for his arrest is not yet known but the the Rivers State Government accused the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the GOC of 6 Division of the Nigeria Army, Major General Jamil Sarham of masterminding the arrest and plotting the mass arrest of prominent PDP members in the State.
According to the eye witness who only gave his name as Thompson, the former Rivers State governor, in the company of Rivers All Progressives Congress (APC) factional chieftain, Dakuku Adolphus Peterside and some stern-looking soldiers, stormed the premises of Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja in Port Harcourt in the late afternoon of Wednesday, March 6, 2019 where he and members of his family were taken away in what the eye witness described as ‘commando style’.
Thompson said the State Education Commissioner and his household were taken away, apparently to Bori Camp in a black Toyota jeep with Rotimi Amaechi driving while Dakuku Peterside sat at the passenger’s seat.
He said that a second vehicle, a white Hilux van that was driven by an army officer carried the ‘abducted’ Commissioner and his household.
The state government in statement by the commissioner for information and communication, Emma Okah, said that the essence of the arrests is to precipitate crisis and cause the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to postpone elections in Rivers State.
The statement said that the Minister will use the vacuum created by the absence of arrested leaders and rig the governorship election and force a candidate of his choice against the will of the people.
“We have been saying it repeatedly that the Minister of Transportation has been commanding the army in Port Harcourt to do unprofessional things and the crisis are spreading.
” He has been boasting that he has brought soldiers from Sokoto and other states to carry out his political agenda of disrupting or rigging elections on Saturday.
According to the statement, any arrested person would be kept behind bars till after the governorship elections in the State.
“A lot of Prominent persons have been pencilled down for arrest. Some of them are His Excellency Sir Celestine Omehia, former Gov of Rivers State; Rt Hon Austin Opara, former Dep Speaker of House of Reps; State PDP Chairman Bro Felix Obuah; Elder statesman Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, former Chairman of UBA; Sen Olaka Nwogu; Chief Sergeant Awuse; Sen Lee Maeba; Dr Tammy Danagogo, former Sports Minister; Dr Abiye Sekibo, former Transport Minister; Amb Desmond Akawor, former Nig Ambassador to South Korea; Prince Emma Anyanwu; Sir Kenneth Kobani, SSG; Ejor N Ejor, Prof Blessing Didia, members of Rivers State House of Assembly; PDP candidates and National Assembly members elect; Alabo David Briggs, all commissioners and special advisers; Local Govermment Council Chairmen, Senator Thompson Sekibo, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, etc.
“In the light of this development, the government calls on all PDP members not to be cowed by this development but be vigilant and resist arrest by these people”
