Some supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Rivers State, Atiku Abubakar have been arrested and detained allegedly on the orders of Governor Nyesom Wike.
This was as the support group on the aegis of ‘Atiku Support Organisation’ has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of over 30 of its members allegedly arrested for attending a meeting of the group.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, 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 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.
In the words of Moses; “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.
Moses therefore called on the Inspector General of Police to as a matter of urgent importance, order the immediate and unconditional release of their members to avert a crisis ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Speaking on the matter, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Chris Finebone, said members of the group may have been arrested for violating the law.
According to him; “If anybody is arrested for going against the law, the person might find it very convenient to drag the name of the governor into it”.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-koko, declined to comment on the matter.
