Gov Wike says he has no regrets proscribing IPOB in Rivers

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, has said that he has no regrets proscribing the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in Rivers State.

He said he took the action because of his belief in the unity of Nigeria.

The governor stated this when he played host to a delegation of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), who paid him a solidarity visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.

A statement on Wednesday, by Kelvin Ebiri, his Special Assistant on Media, said the governor reiterated EndSARS protest was peaceful in the state until “IPOB hijacked it, and committed arson by killing six army officers, four police officers, burnt police stations and courts.”

Wike said he could not as the governor of Rivers watch such lawless acts perpetrated by a people that had been proscribed by the Federal Government.

READ ALSO: Wike is a walking dead man and will pay a heavy price —IPOB leader, Kanu

“Without any apology, I am a true Nigerian. I believe that things must be done properly in a way that every component part of this country will be satisfied,” he said.

Further noting that he had never been against any particular ethnic group living in the state, including every law abiding Igbos, maintained that as a governor “he cannot tolerate a situation where some misguided persons under the guise of IPOB would unleash attack on innocent Nigerians in Rivers State.”

The governor said had the State Security Council was not been proactive to impose curfew in the entire Oyigbo Local Government Area, that the situation would have degenerated to war between Igbo and the Hausa community residing in the area.

CNG spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said they were in the state to express their gratitude to the governor for his leadership and statesmanship in protecting northern communities from the violence and violation of their rights and dignity during the mayhem in Oyigbo.

While commending Wike for the financial assistance to policemen affected in the crisis, the group stated, “We reasonably believe that if the federal authorities were to emulate the wisdom of offering such incentive to our troops on the front line, it would heighten their morale which is at present very low”.

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