By Brave Dickson
The National Union of Ogoni Students, USA, also known as NUOS USA, with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, has called on Nigeria’s Acting Inspector General of Police to direct the Rivers State Police Commissioner to launch an investigation into the alleged involvement of Senator Barry Mpigi over the attempted murder of Chief Gani Topba.
Gani Topba was shot in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.on Sunday, March 12, 2023, but survived the attack.
President of NUOS USA, Freddie Idamkue, made the call in a statement released at the end of their mid-year emergency meeting held in Phoenix Arizona USA saying that the insecurity situation was creating a refugee crisis and forcing migrations, especially in Ogoni where a lot of high profile killings are never investigated.
Chief Gani Topba had, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, while being featured on a popular radio programme in Port Harcourt, accused the current Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District of being behind the assassination attempt on his life.
Reacting to the allegation, Idamkue said the police cannot treat such a weighty allegation lightly, especially given the level of high-profile killings which have ravaged Ogoni without anyone being held accountable.
Gani Topba had challenged the Senator to deny the allegations by petitioning the state security if the allegations were false.
Idamkue said Senator Mpigi was also named in the January 2 2020, assassination attempt on the life of the president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke.
MOSOP President Nsuke escaped by whiskers and remained in police detention for two days before his release in the late evening of January 4, 2020.
Citing other high-profile killings in the Ogoni area, Idamkue said Barr. Joseph Paago, a university lecturer, was abduBrave Dickson
The National Union of Ogoni Students, USA, also known as NUOS USA, with headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, has called on Nigeria’s Acting Inspector General of Police to direct the Rivers State Police Commissioner to launch an investigation into the alleged involvement of Senator Barry Mpigi over the attempted murder of Chief Gani Topba.
Gani Topba was shot in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State.on Sunday, March 12, 2023, but survived the attack.
President of NUOS USA, Freddie Idamkue made the call in a statement released at the end of their mid-year emergency meeting held in Phoenix Arizona USA. saying that the insecurity situation was creating a refugee crisis and forcing migrations especially in Ogoni where a lot of high profile killings are never investigated.
Chief Gani Topba had on Saturday July 22, 2023 while being featured on a popular radio programme in Port Harcourt accused the current Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District of being behind the assassination attempt on his life.
Reacting to the allegation, Idamkue said the police cannot treat such a weighty allegation lightly, especially given the level of high-profile killings which have ravaged Ogoni without anyone being held accountable.
Gani Topba had challenged the Senator to deny the allegations by petitioning state security if the allegations were false.
Idamkue said Senator Mpigi was also named in the January 2 2020, assassination attempt on the life of the president of MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke.
MOSOP President Nsuke escaped by whiskers and remained in police detention for two days before his release in the late evening of January 4, 2020.
Citing other high-profile killings in the Ogoni area, Idamkue said Barr. Joseph Paago, a university lecturer, was abducted in Kira and murdered in cold blood in Agbonchia, Eleme LGA, on his way to Port Harcourt. The police have not identified his assailants since then.
“Richard Nimaa, a MOSOP chieftain and an aspirant for the chairmanship of Khana Local Government Area of the state and native of Sogho, was assassinated in his home in Eleme just before the party primary election.
“In 2010, Mr Pius Gbarazia, an Ogoni-born Canadian who visited Nigeria and a lecturer at the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Engr. Clement Faah, both native of Yeghe in the Gokana Local Government Area of the state, were killed by gunmen in their hometown. There have been no investigations into those killings.
“On March 25 2019, Mr Fidelis Nwiyor, a Director of the Federal Ministry of Education who visited his home town Bien-Gwara, for his brother’s funeral, was assassinated without arrest or investigation until date.
“It is disturbing that relatives, like the wife of late Dr.Lucky Kina, a Port Harcourt-based ophthalmologist, were assassinated on November 24 2018, and assailants trail others who attempt to seek justice for the victims.
“Prior to the 2016 election rerun for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, at least 26 persons were killed, including traders and students who came to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic to pick up their NYSC call-up letters. No one had been held accountable for these killings.
“The disappearance of notable persons and killing of political actors deserves more serious attention, especially with the revelation by Chief Gani Topba that Senator Mpigi is responsible for the attack and the attempt to murder him in March 2023”
He said NUOS expects and demands that public officers and a serving Senator, as in this instance, should live above board and uphold the integrity expected of holders of such positions.
NUOS USA notes that it is particularly striking that Chief Gani Topba challenged the Senator to prove him wrong during the radio programme and repeatedly emphasised his readiness to prove his case.
“NUOS USA makes bold to state its rejection of people whose credibility is questionable from holding public offices that require trust and integrity and notes that this instance involving Senator Mpigi is not only an embarrassment to the nation but could suggest a strong alliance between the police and criminal elements in the Ogoni area if no serious action is taken. Kira, murdered in cold blood in Agbonchia, Eleme LGA on his way to Port Harcourt. The police have not identified his assailants since then.
Richard Nimaa, a MOSOP chieftain and an aspirant for the chairmanship of Khana Local Government Area of the state and native of Sogho, was assassinated in his home in Eleme just before the party primary election.
“In 2010, Mr Pius Gbarazia, an Ogoni-born Canadian who visited Nigeria and a lecturer at the Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, Engr. Clement Faah, both native of Yeghe in the Gokana Local Government Area of the state, were killed by gunmen in their hometown. There have been no investigations into those killings.
“On March 25 2019, Mr Fidelis Nwiyor, a Director of the Federal Ministry of Education who visited his home town Bien-Gwara for his brother’s funeral, was assassinated without arrest or investigation until date.
“It is disturbing that relatives, like the wife of late Dr.Lucky Kina, a Port Harcourt-based ophthalmologist, was assassinated on November 24 2018, and assailants trail others who attempt to seek justice for the victims.
“Before the 2016 election rerun for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, at least 26 persons were killed, including traders and students who came to the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic to pick up their NYSC call-up letters. No one had been held accountable for these killings.
“The disappearance of notable persons and killing of political actors deserves more serious attention, especially with the revelation by Chief Gani Topba that Senator Mpigi is responsible for the attack and the attempt to murder him in March 2023”.
He said NUOS expects and demands that public officers and a serving Senator, as in this instance, should live above board and uphold the integrity expected of holders of such positions.
“NUOS USA notes that it is particularly striking that Chief Gani Topba, during the radio programme, challenged the Senator to prove him wrong and repeatedly emphasised his readiness to prove his case.
“NUOS USA makes bold to state its rejection of people whose credibility is questionable from holding public offices that require trust and integrity and notes that this instance involving Senator Mpigi is not only an embarrassment to the nation but could suggest a strong alliance between the police and criminal elements in the Ogoni area if no serious action is taken”
