Most areas of Rivers State especially the waterfronts seem to heat up since the arrest and detention of a federal lawmaker and medical doctor, Farah Dagogo, but the state government has issued stern warning against public disorder in the coming days.
Hints emerged that ‘boys’ have mobilised in most waterfront areas preparatory to storming the creeks and waterfronts in protest of the man they regard as their leader.
Dagogo, a riverine politician, was arrested on Thursday, April 28, 2022 after Governor Nyesom Wike declared him wanted for allegedly sponsoring disruption of screening at the state secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He was apprehended at the same venue the next day and was taken to a magistrate who said he had no jurisdiction and fixed the matter for May 9, 2022.
BusinessDay gathered Friday evening that following the court order detaining the federal lawmaker representing Bonny/Degema constituency, the riverine areas have become very tense.
It was gathered that Dagogo received a thunderous welcome by ‘boys’ or youths when he was driven to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Port Harcourt.
Sources said massive mobilisation of youths regarded to be loyal to Dagogo had massed at Nembe – Abuja waterfront believed to be hot beds of youth activists. It was further gathered that the police on their own were not resting on their oars as they too were said to be mobilising heavily to begin urgent night patrols in all the waterfront areas and in the creeks.
As if to confirm the rising tension in the state, the state government Saturday afternoon said its attention has been drawn to signs of danger.
The statement signed by Kelvin Ebiri, Wike’s Special Assistant on Media, said there have emerged threats by some persons and groups to unleash mayhem on the State.
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The statement said these threats were coming on the heels of arrest of some cultists involved in the unlawful disruption of PDP screening exercise of aspirants vying for state and federal legislative seats in the 2023 general election. Dagogo is being accused of cultism.
The Rivers State government warned that it would not tolerate protest activities under whatever guise that may be intended to cause public disorder, infringement on the rights of other citizens and putting the protection of life and the safeguard of property at risk.
The statement went on: “While political actors have a right to express their discontent through various lawful channels, engaging in any form of violent protests, particularly usage of cultists to undermine the rule of law will never be condoned by the State Government.
“To this end, the Rivers State Government hereby issues stern warning to conflict entrepreneurs and ethnic chauvinists fanning the embers of discord that they will face ‘dire consequences’ should they attempt to disrupt the prevailing peace in the State.”
Government said those doing so were enemies of democracy. “We also will like to warn conflict entrepreneurs, particularly in the opposition, that nothing good be achieved in instigating mayhem in the State. We wish to warn that the era of using thugs to influence outcome of election is over. Rivers’ voters will assess every political party based on their performance.”
The State Government thus directed the law enforcement authorities to take appropriate and condign action against anyone or group threatening the peace and stability of the state.
