Thugs damage vehicles, canopies at Rivers APC rally

The All Progressives Congress rally was reportedly disrupted on Monday morning in the Umunachi town of the Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State by suspected political thugs.

The event was eventually held after the party paid a courtesy call on Omuma's monarch at his palace. The situation caused panic in the neighborhood and sent some locals fleeing for safety.

Onyekachi Ojiegbe, the APC chairman in Omuma LGA, commented on the incident and claimed the attack was carried out to deter APC members from participating in the campaign.

He stated, “What happened here today was an eyesore. Since last night, we have been guarding the equipment with some security agencies that came with us.

“However, around 5.25 am, a group of people drove in three Hilux and two Government House police regalia.

“They shot sporadically in the air to disperse our supporters and carted away two generators, vandalised my car beyond repair, and also vandalised the tactical team vehicle of the Area Command, Oyigbo.

“On asking the police why they didn’t react, most of them told me that those were their colleagues. They suspect that they came from the Government House. That’s why they could not shoot at them.”

In a statement on Monday, Sogbeye Eli, the state's APC Campaign Council spokeswoman, acknowledged the attack.

Eli urged Okon Effiong, the state police commissioner, to launch an inquiry right away and make sure that those responsible for the assault were detained and charged.

The Peoples Democratic Party, however, refuted any role in the incident and criticized the claim that attackers included police officers from the government house.

In a statement, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, Director of Publicity and Communications for the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, called the accusation "propaganda."

Source