Handover ex-NDDC chief to police, she’s under investigation, Rivers CP tells Wike

The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, on Friday, asked the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, to handover the former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joi Nunieh, to the police.

The police commissioner, who made the call while briefing journalists in his office in Port Harcourt, added that the former NDDC chief was under investigation.

According to him, the policemen from the Inspector -General of Police Monitoring Unit were endorsed by the command before proceeding to Nunieh’s residence on Thursday.

Makan, who said the exercise was in tandem with the law, decried as unfortunate, the action of the governor, who raced to the NDDC chief’s residence and whisked her to Government House, Port Harcourt.

He said: “It was really unfortunate because under normal circumstance if His Excellency (Wike) is saying that he went to rescue her, he is supposed to turn her over to me because I am the Commissioner of Police on the ground and I will be in a better position to take her than for him to take her to the Government House.

READ ALSO: Gov Wike storms Nunieh’s home, leaves with her for Govt House

“Nobody said he should not protect his citizens, but everything should be done within the confines of the law.

“So if you rescue your citizen, we expect you to turn her over to the police who are in a better position to protect her. I still believe he is going to turn her over because the exercise was legitimate. It was within the confines of the law.”

Governor Wike had on Thursday rescued the ex-NDDC chief from heavily-armed policemen who laid siege to her home in Port Harcourt.

She was expected to appear before the House of Representatives committee probing alleged misappropriation of N40billion in the commission before the incident.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now