No fewer than five children are feared dead after inhaling teargas shot by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command at a rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement (SRM) in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
This is as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Hon. Tony Okocha, said the injured Senator Magnus Ngei Abe may be flown abroad for proper medical treatment.
Okocha said, “As I talk to you, a senator of the Federal Republic is lying critically ill in hospital. I learnt arrangements are being made to fly him out of the country.
“We were together, he was even trying to make contacts with the Inspector General of Police when they shot him point blank. Senator Magnus Abe was shot in the chest with this their rubber bullet thing. My own was tear-gas shells. If they were doing the right thing, why would they be shooting teargas and picking the shells? So they knew they were doing the wrong thing.
“They brought in seven armoured personnel carriers inside the College of Arts and Sciences to kill common criminals? Are we criminals?”
Meanwhile, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ike Chinwo, is said to be missing.
Rivers State chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ikanya who disclosed this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, even as he condemned the crisis he described as unwarranted.
Ikanya said that the children were returning from church when the teargas was being fired and may have died from suffocation, adding that the party was making efforts to locate the families of the deceased children.
He also said Abe, who represents the River South-East senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly was shot with a rubber bullet when policemen shot to disperse the crowd, saying the shooting of Abe was premeditated.
Ikanya said; “We the APC in Rivers State condemn the attempt by the police to murder Senator Abe today at a rally by the Save Rivers Movement. As we speak, the senator is in a critical condition in the hospital.
“This incident took place hours before the rally bagn. The senator and the Chief of staff, Rivers state Government House were going to see that all was set when the police came in and shot him on the chest and leg.
“Chief Tony Okocha, Amaechi’s Chief of Staff was also shot with teargas. The Save Rivers Movement, as a law abiding and registered organisation, had applied for police protection and we are amazed that instead of protection, what they got is brutality.
“We call on President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Assembly to save democracy in Nigeria and save Rivers people.
“We also call on the police to ensure that it redeems its image and abides by its constitutional responsibility, rather than harassing innocent people and destroying canopies and equipment meant for the rally.
“As we speak, five children were killed after inhaling the teargass shot by the police. Also, a member of the APC and former member of the House of Representatives, Ike Chinwo is missing. We understand he was arrested by the police.”
Also speaking, Hon. Asita Honourable, a member of the House of Representatives said it was a national embarrassment for the police to move into an arena to pull down canopies and equipment used for a rally, saying the police had taken sides.
Asita said,” The police is turning itself into the arm wing of the PDP and we are worried that they have taken sides. The police should detach itself from politics in order to regain public confidence.
The lawmaker, who is also the chairman, Rivers State Caucus in the House of Representatives and the member representing Ahoada West/Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni reminded that several calls by the state government, groups and well-meaning individuals for the State Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu fell on deaf hears and called on the President to rise to the occasion.