Court Sends Atiku’s Supporters Arrested By Wike To Prison Until After Elections

A Rivers State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, remanded over 20 supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar in Correctional Centre.

They were arrested allegedly on the orders of Governor Nyesom Wike in connection with a meeting on the aegis of the Atiku Support Organisation in the state correctional centre.

The arrested Atiku supporters were arraigned on three counts charges of conspiracy, cultism, and unlawful gathering.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Collins Ali refused to grant the accused persons bail upon an application filed by their defence counsel.

Ali ordered that the accused persons should be remanded in a Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to March 22, 2023 for the consideration of the bail application.

The accused persons who are mainly supporters of Atiku Abubakar in Rivers State were arrested on Sunday, February 5, 2023 and detained allegedly on the orders of Governor Wike.

A statement in Port Harcourt by the spokesperson for the group, Victor Moses, said that some heavily armed police personnel invaded the meeting venue of Atiku Support Organisation on Sunday in Port Harcourt and arrested its members.

Moses explained that the meeting attended by those arrested was preparatory to the PDP presidential campaign rally in the state scheduled for February 11, 2023, adding that the armed policemen were sent to stop the meeting.

Moses said; “Over 30 of our members, state and LGA leaders, most of whom are women, were arrested and taken away in two white Hilux of the intelligence unit, while about four (Toyota) Hilux heavily armed with police sealed up the meeting venue.

“Some of our members had to escape through the fence and sustained injuries caused by barbed wire and calls to their phone numbers are not going through,” he said.