Expert condemns attack on Ex-Commissioner, Arise NEWS crew in Rivers

*Seeks arrest of perpetrators

A political management consultant and Executive Director, Compassionate Heart Foundation of Canada, Joe Korka-Waadah has condemned the attack on a former Commissioner in Rivers State, Leloonu Nwibubasa and Arise NEWS Crew in Port Harcourt.

He expressed disappointment that days after, the suspects were yet to be arrested, walking freely after perpetrating such crime.

It would recall that some suspected political thugs invaded and attacked the former Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment in the state, ended the live cross interview of the Arise News Television half way, on Friday night in the state.

The suspected armed assailants invaded a hotel in Orazi axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State and disrupted live interview with Nwibubasa.

It was gathered that the thugs made the attack while Nwibubasa was speaking on the political issues in the state.

Meanwhile, Korka-Waadah, a Canada-based Ogoni indigene has described the incident as unfortunate.

He said four of the elders of Ogoniland were murdered in similar way, saying that the attack was not on Nwibubasa but on the entire Ogoni people.

“It is unfortunate that in our dear Rivers state, thugs and hoodlums are deployed to harm or terminate the life of a citizen merely for expressing an opinion which he is entitled to. Should that ugly incident be seen a signal of what we should expect going forward into the election of 2027?

“Let it be known to these anti democratic forces that Ogoni has suffered a lot in the hands of the Nigerian government. Four of our elders and statesmen were murdered in the same fashion. That culminated to framed up charges that led to the brutal murder of our leader Ken Saro-Wiwa and nine others in 1995.

“Today is Ogoni day and the same forces went after another Ogoni son. That wasn’t a mere attack on the person of Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, as a prominent son of Ogoni, it was an attack on the Ogoni people.

We will not sit down and allow any of us to either be intimidated to killed while the world watches. Never again, never again. Enough is enough”, Korka-Waadah warned.

Though the State Police Command had earlier said the items collected from the Arise NEWS crew during the attack have all been recovered, Korka-Waadah insist that there should been arrest to prove their effort in tackling the thugs

He said “We are also worried how that the Police rose to the occasion, rescued the targets of the attack, recovered seized equipment and declared them safe without making a single arrest. That’s aiding and abetting criminality for an incident that does not suggest the attackers were faceless.”