Police dismiss claim as Rivers factional speaker alleges assassination attempt

Edison Ehie, factional speaker of the Rivers state assembly, has alleged an assassination attempt on his life. 

On Monday, Ehie alleged that some men, in company of armed police officers, invaded his residence at about 11:00pm on Sunday, shooting sporadically in an attempt to kill him and members of his family.

He said the armed men were repelled in a gun battle by the security operatives attached to him.

Ehie was elected speaker of the house in October, after a faction of the assembly removed him as house leader during a plot to impeach Siminalayi Fubara, governor of the state.

He alleged that he had been under attack since he openly supported Fubara.

“Because we stood behind the governor to say that evil cannot reign over good in the state, I and my family have suddenly come under attacks and threats, especially after my election as the speaker of the 10th assembly,” he said.

However, Olatunji Disu, commissioner of police in Rivers, dismissed the assassination claim.

Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt on Monday, Disu said the command has launched an investigation to ascertain the claims made by the speaker.

“The preliminary investigations we have done so far have not revealed any assassination attempt on the speaker,” he said.

“All I know was that police officers were on convoy patrol which is a routine thing.

“We have made frantic efforts to get across to the leader to give us information he has, so that we can include it with the information we already have.”

Disu pleaded with the factional Rivers speaker to come forward and file an official complaint to enable the police to conclude their investigation on the alleged attack.

“So far so good, as there is nothing to worry about,” Disu said.

“My number is going to be made public so that they can call me quickly to enable me to look quickly into it (the allegation).

“For now, I haven’t gotten anything (complaints) like that.”