SARS operatives responsible for series of kidnapping and armed robbery in Rivers State, says Governor Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that
most of the kidnapping and armed robbery taking place in the state are
perpetrated by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
According to a statement signed by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special
Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Wike stated that the
embattled Rivers State Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) Commander, Mr
Akin Fakorede and his operatives have been indicted by an official
Police Signal,
which indicated that they are responsible for the series
of kidnapping and deadly robbery across the state.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday at the Government House
Port Harcourt, Governor Wike stated that the SARS Commander was planted
in the state to sabotage the security architecture of the state and
create an atmosphere of fear.
The governor said that criminal activities of Mr Fakorede
were uncovered by the Inspector General of Police X Squad Abuja deployed
to the state after the squad busted the attempted kidnap of one Mr
Azumana Ifeanyi on September 11, 2017 at the GRA, Port Harcourt.
The Official Police Signal with the title: "Police Wireless
Message " and Reference Number DT0: 121030/09/2017 ---INGENPOL-X-FHQ
ABUJA TO-INGENPOL SEC ABUJA, noted that the squad received a distress
call on the kidnap of Mr Ifeanyi and immediately swung into action.
According to the signal, they met the three SARS operatives robbing and a
gun duel ensued. The operatives had taken Mr Ifeanyi to a Fidelity Bank
ATM where they compelled him to withdraw N500,000 as ransom.
One of the SARS Operatives was killed, while Inspector Justice Nyeche who led the IGP team was injured.
Governor Wike said: "Most of the kidnapping and armed
robbery taking place in this state are done by men of SARS. They use
exhibit vehicles to operate. As the Chief Security Officer of the state,
you complain, but they choose to play politics with crime.
"They fight crime in some state, but they refuse to fight
crime in Rivers State. We are done with the elections, but they are
using SARS to create insecurity in the state.
"As I speak with you, they will deny. But the SARS
Operative who was killed was amongst those who raided the Rivers East
Senatorial District Collation Centre. This man can be identified in the
video as one of those who invaded the collation centre with Fakorede."
The governor stated that the deliberate acts of violence
being perpetrated by the Police have been planned as part of the rigging
process for 2019.
"I have never seen a country where they politicise crime.
It is very obvious that they want to give the impression that Rivers
State is unsafe. They want to instil fear preparatory to declaring
during the elections that they are so much killing", he said.
He added: "Authorities deliberately trying to destroy a
whole state and you want the people to be happy. I will no longer write.
Now is the time to take my case to the public, for the whole world to
know what is happening ".
The governor said that his administration has invested more
than any other in security logistics, yet the Police work against the
state.
It will be recalled that the embattled Rivers State SARs
Commander, Mr Akin Fakorede was caught on video invading the Rivers East
Senatorial District Collation Centre on December 12, 2016.
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