Rivers CP Tells Wike To Hand Over Nunieh To Police Now!

 

Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Gobum Mukan yesterday did a dramatic about-turn and called on Governor Nyesom Wike to hand over to him, the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joi Nunieh, taking refuge at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

On the same day, Nunieh appeared before the House of Representative panel probing the activities of the commission via Zoom, and informed the panel that “there is no forensic auditing taking place at the NDDC.”

Wike had stormed the Port Harcourt residence of the former NDDC boss on Thursday and freed her from a police siege.

Mukan, according to Governor Wike, said his command was not aware of the incident.

But Mukan recanted yesterday while appearing on ARISE TV programme monitored in Port Harcourt and called on Wike to hand over Nunieh to the police.

He said the policemen came from Force Headquarters to invite the former NDDC boss to Abuja over a petition against her.

“We are aware of their coming. If people felt we were not aware of their coming, did they ask me? We are aware of their coming to the state to invite her,” he said.

Mukan also dismissed insinuations that the policemen were on an illegal mission as they did not possess a warrant of arrest.

“It is not in every situation that you need a warrant for an arrest. There are situations that you do not need a warrant to effect an arrest. So, the fact that they do not have a warrant of arrest at that moment does not mean it was an illegality within the confines of the constitution,” he said.

He also said while Wike might have freed her from the hands of people he did not trust, the governor should hand her over to the commissioner of police who is the chief law enforcement officer of the state.

Mukan said: “It is really unfortunate. Under normal circumstance, if the governor is coming to rescue her, he should have handed her over to me to protect her, as the chief law enforcement officer of the state. I still believe he will hand her over because the exercise was legitimate and within the confines of the law.

“So, he should turn her over to the police. I have gotten in touch with him personally and advised him to turn her over.”

The police commissioner also said the police did not come to prevent Nunieh from going to the National Assembly to testify in the on-going probe of the NDDC.

“We did not know that she was going to give evidence before the House of Representatives. As far as the officers who came to invite her are concerned, they are investigating a petition against her, which has nothing to do with the issue before the National Assembly. They are two different things,” he stated.

Court Restrains Police from Arresting Nunieh

Also yesterday, a Rivers State High Court issued an order retraining the police and the State Security Service from arresting or detaining Nunieh.

The Presiding Judge, Justice E. N. Thompson, gave the order on Suit No: PHC/1128 FHR/2020, between Dr. Joi Nunieh (applicant), and Senator Goodwill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State; State Security Service (SSS); the Inspector General of Police; and the Nigerian Police Force (1st -5th respondents respectively).

Justice E. N. Thompson said, “That the 3rd -5th respondents are restrained from arresting, detaining and harassing the applicant pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“That the 1st and 2nd respondents are restrained from using the 3rd – 5th respondents to arrest, harass and intimidate the applicant pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“That the 3rd – 5th respondents should, without delay, unconditionally withdraw the men and officers of the Nigeria Police Force from the premises of the applicant pending the determination of the motion on notice.”