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Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Thursday took to the streets of Port Harcourt with thousands of Rivers people to protest mass killings by the Police and other security agencies during the December 10 rerun elections.
The peaceful protest took off from Government House, Port Harcourt at 8 a.m., moved through Azikiwe Street and Bank Road before terminating at the Rivers State Police Command headquarters on Moscow Road.
With the governor were Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Speaker Dabo Adams and Former Minister of Transport, DrAbiye Sekibo, former UBA Chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra, former Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru and Rivers State PDP Chairman Felix Obuah.
Also on the peaceful march were Commissioners, State Legislators, Caretaker Committee Chairmen, women and youths.
As the protesters approached the gate of the Rivers State Police Command headquarters, the policemen retreated into their premises and locked their gates.
It took up to 30minutes before the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Cyril Okoro came out to attend to the protesters led by the governor. Mr. Okoro still did not open the gate. He spoke through the gate spaces.
Addressing the Police, Governor Wike said that the people of Rivers State were at the Police Command to inform the authorities that they were tired of the killings of innocent people in the state by the police and other security operatives.
He noted that the people and government of the state were particularly dissatisfied with the recklessness of two senior policemen, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Mr Akin Fakorede who he alleged led the sponsored onslaught against the people of Rivers State and compromised the security architecture of the state.
His words: “On behalf of the Rivers State Government and the good people of the state, we have to let the police know that enough is enough.
“We demand that the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Steven Hasso and the Commander of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Akin Fakorede must leave the state.
“Since you don’t want to protect the state and you want to be politicians, you have gotten the votes you want to get, you have also gotten the seats you want to get, you can now leave the state.
“If they don’t leave the state, then we will do all we can to ensure they leave this state. They must leave this state. They have killed innocent people.
“We have come here peacefully, communicate this to your superiors in Abuja. I cannot write again, since I have done that repeatedly. Please, I don’t want my people to die anymore. I don’t want armed robbers posted as senior police officers to Rivers State”.
He noted that the Police High Command has refused to act despite the overwhelming evidence against the duo, especially the video footage that showed Akin Fakorede and other security operatives trying to snatch results of the Rivers East Senatorial District.
Responding, DCP Okoro assured the governor that the state Police Command will pass the message to the Force headquarters in Abuja.