Home of Rivers Factional Speaker Invaded by Armed Men

In a recent statement, Ehie asserted that 26 lawmakers had unanimously elected him as the Speaker while also announcing the suspension of some of his colleagues.

Details surrounding the attack on Ehie’s residence remain unclear, and it is not confirmed whether any damage or casualties occurred during the invasion. However, it was reported that his security personnel thwarted the attack, which was suspected to be an assassination attempt.

This incident took place after 27 lawmakers, led by House Speaker Martin Amaewhule, traveled to Abuja for a retreat, described by the latter as a capacity-building initiative.

Upon reaching out to the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, it was revealed that she had not received the report at that time. She assured that she would look into the matter and provide a response to the correspondent, although she had not done so by Monday morning when this report was filed.

Additionally, a statement supposedly issued by Ken Uchendu, identified as the Legislative Correspondent of the State House of Assembly, and circulated to the media, characterized the attack as an assassination attempt. The statement alleged that the attempted assassination was orchestrated by the head of a police tactical unit in the state, alongside unidentified accomplices.

Furthermore, it cautioned that the senior police officers would be held accountable should any harm befall the new Speaker and his household. The statement also assured that footage of the incident captured by CCTV cameras would be made public for verification and record-keeping purposes.

According to the statement, “At about 11 pm on Sunday, November 19, 2023, a group of armed thugs and police officers attached to the CTU B 3 RSV carried out an attack at the private residence of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, heavily armed with the intent to assassinate Mr. Speaker and his family.

“Nevertheless, the thugs and police officers were fiercely repelled in a gun battle by the official security details attached to the Speaker.

“It is important to note that the armed individuals and officers were fully captured by the CCTV footage in the residence, which will be made available to all media outlets, including CNN, Aljazeera, and others, both national and international, for documentation.

“Let it be on record that the people of Rivers State, encompassing all demographics, will take to the streets in protest against the Nigerian Police and those who sponsor violence in Rivers State, regardless of their status. Rivers people will stand firm against them.

“Finally, if there is a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, President Bola Tinubu should hold the Rivers State Police Command and their sponsors in Rivers State accountable.”