Police operatives in Abuja have arrested two loyalists of the Rivers Governor, including the lawmaker representing the Aboada West constituency of the State House of Assembly, Sokari Goodboy.
The police also picked up a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, identified as Ezebunwo Ichemati. The arrests took place outside the venue of the National Executive Committee meeting of the PDP in Abuja on Thursday, April 18.
In a viral video, a lady claiming to be a member of Governor Sim Fubara’s media team stated that the duo were arrested on the orders of a local government chairman in Rivers State.
She further explained that the chairman instructed the police to arrest the serving assembly member and attacked Ezebunwo, tearing his shirt. She expressed confusion about the situation, as they were merely there to show solidarity.
The two loyalists were taken to an unidentified police station by the security operatives. The Special Assistant on Electronic Media to the governor, Jerry Omotsegunwa, confirmed the incident and called for their immediate release.
He questioned why they were arrested when they were present to show solidarity, along with many other governors and their supporters.
Currently, out of the 31 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, 27 led by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while the remaining four are loyal to Fubara.
The incident has sparked concerns about political tensions in Rivers State and the need for fair treatment of individuals exercising their democratic rights. The immediate release of the arrested individuals is being demanded by supporters and officials alike.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
