Paragraph 1: The Ordeal of Four Acquitted Youths
Four young men from Rivers State, Nigeria, recently shared their harrowing experience of being unjustly arrested, detained, and tortured for six to eight months. Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Prince Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini were accused of involvement in the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex in October 2023. Despite being discharged and acquitted by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, their ordeal continued as they faced pressure to implicate innocent individuals in the incident.
Paragraph 2: Pressure to Implicate the Chief of Staff
The four youths revealed a disturbing attempt to coerce them into falsely accusing the Chief of Staff to the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Edison Ehie, of orchestrating the Assembly bombing. Ezebalike recounted how they were approached by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in Obio/Akpor and urged to rewrite their statements to align with the narrative presented by George Nwaeke, the former Head of Service in Rivers State, who had publicly accused Governor Fubara of sponsoring the bombing. They resisted these pressures, determined to uphold the truth despite the ordeal they had already endured.
Paragraph 3: Details of their Arrest and Detention
Ezebalike described how they were picked up from different locations in Rivers State in December 2023 under false pretenses. They were blindfolded and taken to the Federal-Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) unit in Port Harcourt, where they were accused of the Assembly bombing and other serious crimes, including the murder of Supol Bako Angbashim and an assassination attempt on Hon. Martins Amaewhule. They were denied access to legal representation and pressured to fabricate confessions implicating Ehie.
Paragraph 4: Attempts at Bribery and Coercion
The young men revealed that they were subjected to various forms of coercion and inducement to force false confessions. They were offered bribes, including money and a fully paid trip abroad with their families, in exchange for implicating Ehie. When these attempts failed, they faced intensified physical assault, starvation, and psychological torture. Ezebalike alleged that a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an ally of former Governor Nyesom Wike, was personally involved in pressuring them.
Paragraph 5: Fubara’s Kinsmen Deny Counter-Rally Plans
Amidst the political tension in Rivers State, fueled by the ongoing dispute between Governor Fubara and former Governor Wike, reports emerged of a planned pro-Fubara rally in Opobo, the Governor’s hometown. However, a group known as the Opobo Elder Statesmen refuted these claims, stating that they were false and intended to create further tension. They affirmed their support for Governor Fubara but emphasized their commitment to peaceful and legal means of resolving the political crisis.
Paragraph 6: Call for Peace and Due Process
The Opobo Elder Statesmen expressed concern over the political climate in Rivers State, particularly the recent declaration of a state of emergency. They appealed for peaceful dialogue and engagement between the Federal Government and all stakeholders to resolve the crisis and allow Governor Fubara to focus on governing and delivering on his promises to the people of Rivers State. They stressed the importance of intelligent and constructive dialogue rather than resorting to violence or destructive actions, emphasizing the negative economic and environmental consequences such actions could have. They rejected the notion of responding to provocation with violence, reaffirming their commitment to peaceful coexistence and legal processes.
