Reason Operatives Fired Shots At Gov Fubara Has Been Revealed
The Rivers State Police Command has opened up on the incident of shooting at Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Police clarified that he was shot at due to a lack of prior communication about his presence among the protesters.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Grace Iringe-Koko issued a statement on Wednesday, explaining that the governor and his entourage appeared amidst the protesting crowd without informing the police, which is standard protocol. According to Iringe-Koko, police operatives were already dealing with protesting youths who had the potential to cause mayhem, and they took deliberate security measures to ensure the governor’s protection and safety upon his unexpected arrival.
Governor Fubara had accused security agencies of bias and claimed that he was shot at directly while visiting the assembly complex, which had been damaged by arsonists earlier that Sunday night.
Iringe-Koko stated that the police command has initiated a comprehensive investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting. She clarified that the police had received credible intelligence about armed individuals intending to cause mayhem at the State House of Assembly. When protesters gathered at the complex, the police deployed non-lethal crowd control equipment like tear gas and water cannon to disperse the unruly crowd.
Upon a second aggressive group approaching the complex, the police engaged them similarly. But on noticing that Governor Fubara was among them, the police took immediate steps to ensure his safety, even though there had been no prior communication about his visit, as is customary for the governor’s security.
Iringe-Koko emphasized that the police did not deliberately attack the governor or anyone else and stated that their essential role is to protect the Chief Executive and security officer of the state. The Rivers State Police Command has implemented adequate security measures to de-escalate the situation and restore calm in the affected areas.
