Attack on Senator Lee Maeba: Rivers Govt. call on security to conduct thorough investigation

* I got a call that they are invading my house. My crime is that I support Atiku Abubakar –Maeba

Ibrahim Bakare/Port Harcourt

About 200 hoodlums suspected to be political thugs today Thursday, December 8 invaded the private residence of former Senator Lee Maeba in the GRA, Phase 3 axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

It was alleged before the invasion that there was a threat phone call to Maeba, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State.

In the phone call, the caller allegedly warned Maeba that they have sent to attack him.

“Not long after the phone call, the hoodlums shot sporadically at my gate, forcefully entered my residence and wilfully destroyed my cars. My brother was beaten and sustained injuries which he is nursing at a hospital.”, Maeba said in online video.

A team of security operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS and Policemen have visited scene. 

Meaba has attributed the attack on him because of his political alliance with Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, in a swift reaction to the incident, the Rivers State Government called on security agencies to conduct discreet and thorough investigation of the incident.

In press statement signed by Chris Finebone, Commissioner for Information and Communications said “The Rivers State Government has seen isolated reports suggesting that some persons are purportedly being physically molested for political reasons. 

“Security agencies must exercise the highest level of diligence, discreetness and carefulness in their work to sift the wheat from the chaff in order to arrive at a credible conclusion.

“It is not strange to find politicians staging high level melodrama to either cover up their tracks or muddle up the waters to achieve a preconceived narrative aimed at hoodwinking the public for political reasons especially at a time like this.

“Today, a report by former Senator Lee Maeba surfaced on social media that he got a call from a young man. And the caller purportedly, in his own words said, “that they have instructions from either government or some quarters to attack my house.” 

Finebone said that with such claim;”This makes it obvious that Senator Maeba should help security agencies in unraveling the purported attack on his house and those behind it. It is not enough to blame such an attack on ‘either government or some quarters.’ He should try and remember exactly whom the caller said sent him (the caller).

Spokesman of the Rivers State Government, Finebone, assured that the Rivers State Government, working with security agencies, will continue to render all possible assistance for security agencies to ensure safety of life and property in Rivers State at all times”.

Meanwhile, the Tonye Cole Solidarity Movement in Khana Local Government Area has condemned attack meted on Sen. Lee Maeba today by some miscreants, describing it as a high level of political rascality that is in operation in this state.

This is happening less than 24hrs after Senator Lee Maeba and other top Rivers politicians were spotted in pictures with Rivers APC Governorship candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole in a funeral service hosted at the EUI event centre, GRA Port Harcourt.

Not long after the “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike ordered the immediate sealing of EUI event centre, a property allegedly owned by a renowned Igbo Businessman, Chief Arthur Eze, fearing that the oppposition in Rivers State are aligning against his third term agenda.

The political group called on the security agencies to carry out a proper investigation on the incident

 The press statement signed by

 Barikui Holiness Nwikpa

Publicity Secretary of Tonye Cole Solidarity Movement said: “We therefore call on all true Rivers People to come out en masse with their PVC, to vote against this tyranny in Rivers State in order to bring smooth and respectable administration.