… Condoles The Army Over Death Of Officer
… Calls For Thorough Investigation To Unravel Culprits
The Amanyanabo of Abonnema Kingdom, His Gracious Majesty, King (Barr.) Disrael Gbobo Bob-Manuel (ii), Owukori (ix), has expressed deep sorrow over the widespread violence and killings that greeted last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Abonnema, which left scores of people dead and disruption of the polls.
The Amanyanabo of Abonnema while calling for calm, also commiserated with the families of all the victims that lost their lives, and prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed. He expressed shock and sadness of the number of his people that were killed.
The Amanyanabo condemned the killing of an Army officer by armed thugs and sent his deep condolence to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division in Port Harcourt.
He blamed politicians and government appointees for importing armed thugs and cultists into Abonnema, to harass the electorates they are meant to serve.
The Monarch expressed anger that despite several appeals by him and the Abonnema Council of Chiefs to the political actors to play by the rules and desist from importing thugs into Abonnema, they refused to heed to these instructions.
The Amanyanabo disclosed that he had in a bid to have peaceful elections in Akuku-Toru LGA especially in Abonnema, convened at different times, over four high powered meetings with critical stakeholders including security operatives, leadership of political parties and members of socio-cultural groups in Abonnema.
It would be recalled that the Amanyanabo of Abonnema had under the auspices of the Abonnema Council of Chiefs, summoned an emergency stakeholders’ meeting last Wednesday, 20th February 2019, with security operatives, leaders of political parties as well as other socio-cultural groups in attendance, where he raised the alarm over the influx of hoodlums and political thugs during the forthcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections in Abonnema.
Regrettably, only the PDP sent a delegation to the last security meeting which was held last Wednesday, 20th February 2019 in Abonnema, to address the tension and probability of crisis that was palpable in Abonnema.
The Abonnema Council of Chiefs had appealed to the youths and politicians to shun all acts that would stall the conduct of a peaceful election, while equally appealing to the security agencies to be professional and apolitical during the polls.
The apex traditional authority in the kingdom had ordered that only eligible voters who were registered in Abonnema and had their Permanent Voters’ Cards be allowed entry into Abonnema during the elections to check the influx of political thugs and other undesirable troublemakers. He charged the security agencies to ensure enforcement at all entry points into Abonnema.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. Nzota, who responded on behalf of the security agencies, promised that the elections would be peaceful.
While pleading with the government to urgently restore peace in the area, the Amanyanabo urged feuding politicians to sheath their swords, reminding them that they were first indigenes of Abonnema before their membership of any political party.
The Amanyanabo pledged that all those involved in sponsoring thugs to unleash mayhem at innocent residents, with the sole aim of having a favourable outcome at all costs will be rejected by Nyemoni (Abonnema) people.
His Majesty called on the Rivers State Government, including independent civil society organizations to quickly launch a thorough inclusive investigation with a view to unraveling and bringing to justice, the perpetrators of the heinous crime, where over 25 persons died.
