Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the negative
roles played by the Nigerian Army during the 2019 general elections is
the worst in the history of the country, saying that the Nigerian Army’s
political interference in the state is the most unfortunate infraction in
the nation’s democratic experience.
Governor Wike formally requested for the redeployment of the General
Officer Commanding ( GOC) 6 Division, Major General Jamil Sarhem for
deliberately subverting the general elections in Rivers State .
Governor Wike spoke on Friday when he granted audience to the Nigerian
Army Committee on Electoral Violence during the 2019 at the Government
House, Port Harcourt.
He said: “Throughout my experience politically, I have never seen the
Nigerian Army play the kind of role they played during the last General
Elections.
“The Nigerian Army purely made political interferences all through. We
will show you the visuals of the roles played by the Nigerian Army. If
you go to the 6 Division, unless they have moved them out, you will see
ballot boxes and electoral materials. The 6 Division served as the
take off base for the Electoral Interference.
“We formally request that appropriate sanctions be meted out to the GOC of
the 6 Division. It has never happened that the Army Division becomes the
operational base of a political party. This GOC became actively involved
in politics. He has his own Government in Rivers State. He has no
respect for civil authority.
“We seek the immediate redeployment of the GOC, Major General Jamil
Sarhem. He cannot fight crime. Leaving the GOC here, will be creating
more crisis. He is here to fight crime and not to play politics. If
soldiers fight crime, the way they intervened in last elections, there
will be no kidnapper anywhere “.
He said that elections took place across Rivers State in the polling
units. He noted that aside Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Rivers
people voted.
The Governor regretted that the challenge came during the Collation,
when operatives of the Nigerian Army invaded Collation Centres to cart
away Form EC 8C for the Governorship Election and Form EC 8b1 for the
House of Assembly elections.
“Elections took place in Rivers State at the polling units. The only
LGA where elections did not hold was in Abua/Odual.
“It was during the Collation that operatives of the Nigerian Army
interfered. They will invade a Collation Centre, arrest the Electoral
Officer, Returning Officer and mercilessly beat up the PDP agents. They
carted away Form EC 8c for the Governorship election and Form EC 8b for
the House of Assembly elections “, Governor Wike told the Army
Investigative Committee.
Governor Wike took time to enumerate the areas where the Nigerian Army
unleashed violence and deaths on Rivers people. He also listed the
names of Army Personnel who led the operations.
The Governor regretted that the Nigerian Army was relegated beyond
comprehension as the GOC took orders from the Minister of Transportation
on the deployment of soldiers to opposition leaders in the state.
He noted that the situation became so bad that the Minister of
Transportation had more than a platoon of soldiers attached to him each
time he visited Rivers State to carry out his anti-democratic activities.
The Governor stated that soldiers indiscriminately arrested and
detained over 200 PDP leaders agents and supporters at Bori Camp before,
during and after the 2019 Governorship and State Assembly elections.
He said as a sitting governor, he has no soldiers attached to him, but
ordinary opposition leaders have several soldiers attached to them for
illegal activities during the elections.
Governor Wike said the committee should ensure that that it unravels all
the illegal actions taken by the Nigerian Army during the elections .
He particularly decried the invasion of the home of the Rivers State
Education Commissioner , the harassment of his family and his subsequent
arrest.
Governor Wike informed the committee that in one of the post election
briefings at Bori Camp, the GOC wondered why the soldiers failed to kill
him.
Also speaking, Rivers State Education Commissioner, Dr Tamunosisi
Gogo-Jaja outlined the trauma he faced alongside his family during the
invasion of his home by the Nigerian Army.
He explained how he was interrogated by the GOC at the 6 Division after
his arrest. The Commissioner shocked the committee when he informed
that upon his release he was driven home by the Rivers State Commander of
Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Akin Fakorede.
Chairman of the Nigerian Army Investigative committee on Electoral
Violence, Major General Ayibakuro Gagariga said the committee was
established by the Chief of Army Staff to investigate allegations of
misconduct against the Nigerian Army.
He noted that the committee would look into cases of alleged
interference by the Nigerian Army during the General Elections in Rivers
State.
“There was the killing of Lt Gumi in Abonnema. Others were also killed
during the elections in Rivers State. There is also the allegation on
the attempt to assassinate the Rivers State Governor “, he said.
High-point of the meeting was the visual presentation of all the
locations of Army invasion to the committee members. The governor also
presented a pictorial overview of the interference of the Nigerian Army
in the Electoral Process in the state.