***Demands Accountability for Political Violence,“We Can’t Continue Like This”
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has strongly denounced the recent arson attacks on two Local Government secretariats in Rivers State, calling it a politically motivated act of destruction.
The attacks, carried out by thugs allegedly sponsored by political interests, followed the announcement of local government election results.
In a statement from Abuja, Frank expressed his deep sympathies to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the people of Rivers State, condemning the violence and destruction.
He accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of complicity in the chaos, demanding their immediate resignation.
“Wike and the IGP must be held responsible for the senseless destruction of public property and the loss of innocent lives. Their failure to maintain law and order in Rivers State is unacceptable,” Frank said.
Frank criticized the withdrawal of police protection from the secretariats, claiming it was a deliberate act that allowed the thugs to carry out their attack unchallenged.
“This was not a random act of violence; it was planned, and the police stood by and did nothing to stop it,” Frank added.
While he acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive for the police to restore order, Frank slammed the response as “too little, too late,” accusing the President of siding with Wike.
“Wike has been boasting about having the President’s backing to destabilize Rivers State, and now the state is in flames,” Frank said. “The President must act impartially, not as a political puppetmaster.”
Frank called on international bodies, including the United Nations, to take notice of the deteriorating situation in Rivers State, urging them to hold the instigators accountable under international law.
He also urged Rivers residents to remain strong and rally behind Governor Fubara to resist efforts to destabilize the state.
“We cannot continue like this. Rivers State deserves better. It’s time for those responsible for this violence to face justice,” Frank concluded.