Police in Rivers declare state of emergency on portion of East West road

Wednesday, February 6, 2019 6:35 pm

Rivers Police Commissioner, Belel

Massive deployment of uniform and undercover Policemen

Policemen on regular checkpoints on the Choba to Mbiama axis under probe.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command on Wedesday declared a state of emergency on the Choba and the Mbiama stretch of the popular East -West expressway in response to outcry of commutters over incessant killings, kidnappings and robbery on the popular road.

It was learnt that the recent attack on a commercial bus operated by a popular transporter may have been responsible for the declaration of the state of emergency on the stretch of the road, It will be recalled that the driver of the bus was shot dead while 12 passengers were kidnapped in the incident.

Also, the convoy of lawmakers from Ahoada West local government area was recently attacked by unknown gunmen on the road.

The Leader of Ahoada West legislative Assembly, Ekele Fyneface Chikobi Cohen was killed in the attack.

Sequel to the ambush on the convoy of the lawmakers, Governor Nyesom Wike had vowed that the killers of the lawmaker must be fished out and that security agencies must put a stop to the insecurity on the road.

In an interview with our Correspondent, the Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command,Nnamdi Omoni DSP, confirmed that the Command has declared a state of Emergency on the dangerous stretch of the road.

“We have made massive deployment of Policemen, uniform and plain cloth to that axis. We have also sent our men to creeks, bushes and villages to on intelligence gathering.

“We are doing everything humanly possible to forestall incessant and wanton killings of commuters and security personnel in that axis.

A safety alert which went viral recently warned, commutters, “Please for your safety and safety of your loved ones avoid Omagwa to Ubima and Owerri or Isiokpo to Ubima. Anything that will make you enter through Ubima going to Owerri especially from 6 pm in the evening should be avoided.

“From Elele to Umudioga, Egbeda, Ubima, and Omuku road are no go areas in the evenings due to high profile kidnappings.

Another alert from another anonymous source lectured commutters on how to avoid passing through the dangerous stretch of the East -West road. It said, “From Bayelsa to Port Harcourt divert to Elele Alimini to Elele Isiokpo and proceed to Port Harcourt. Avoid Elele-Ndele Rumuji-Emuoha-Choba -Port Harcourt. Please stay safe. Kidnappers are on rampage. On daily basis they practically blocked the East West Road from Elele to Emuoha axis.Stay safe.”

On the allegations that Policemen who mount checkpoints on the road are accomplices to the robbery, raping and kidnapping incidents, the Police Public Relations Officer,PPRO, said, “We are also investigating our men who have been on that axis. We have gone back to the drawing board to critically examine our mode of operations abd come up with acceptable lasting solutions.”

He revealed in the interview that as part of the measures taken so far, eight of the camps and hideouts being used by kidnappers have been destroyed by policemen while there have been massive deployment of policemen to notable black spots along the Emohua, Ahoada West and Ahoada East local government axis.