Another Violent Attack in Rivers: Jonathan's Men Pushing Nigeria To The Precipice

The All Progressives Congress has raised the alarm that sympathizers
of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are pushing Nigeria to
the precipice, after PDP-sponsored and police-backed militants
attacked a peaceful rally in Rivers State with guns and other weapons,
for the second consecutive Sunday.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its Interim
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the
hoodlums, who invaded the venue of the rally by the Save Rivers
Movement (SRM) in Bori, where the executives of the pan-Rivers
group in Khana Local Government Area of the state were to be
inaugurated, attacked those in attendance and beat up some of the
journalists who were invited to cover the event, damaging their
vehicles and equipment in the process.
While the attack was going on, the police - who had
been formally informed of the rally and were expected to provide
protection - instead gave the hoodlums a free rein, in the most
egregious and open display of partisanship by an institution of
the state saddled with ensuring the protection of lives and
property of all citizens.
APC said the police carried its partisanship to another level when, the
previous day (Saturday), it sent over 300 men to protect a pro-
PDP rally that was used solely to launch a blistering verbal assault
on the APC and Gov. Chibuike Amaechi. The same police have
offered protection for a Pro-PDP group, GDI, which is holding another
rally in Degema on Sunday.
'Sunday's attack came a week after a similar one saw a Senator of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, Magnus Abe, shot by policemen who also
attacked and tear-gassed innocent women and children, among
others.
''As the presidency-backed impunity in Rivers worsens, we at the
APC are left with no choice than to alert all well-meaning Nigerians
as well as the international Community to call President Jonathan
to order, since he has refused to allow peace to reign in the state
just because of his personal ambition.
''Because of the danger this state-backed thuggery can inflict on
our young democracy; because of the harm being done to the polity
by escalating political violence; and because of the fact that
impunity does not breed peace, we will continue to cry out, hoping
that reason will prevail and that President Jonathan will no longer
allow his ambition to be watered by the blood of the same citizens he
swore an oath to protect.
''It is clear that despite the presidency's loud silence on the
Rivers crisis, it is the architect of the violence in the state, and
the 2014 Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and the 2015
general elections are the reasons. That is why we will not relent in
blaming the presidency for the violence. Surely, when the presidency
is tired of violence, peace will return to Rivers state,'' the party said.