Rivers APC Alleges Wike Set Aside N500m To Smear F-SARS Commander, ACP Fakorede

Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State set aside Five Hundred Million Naira (N500M) of the Rivers State government to sponsor a very devious smear campaign against the F-SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

The party in a statement by the Media Consultant to Dr Ibiamu Davies Ikanya, the ex-Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, alleged that Governor Wike had been plotting the sack of Fakorede through sponsoring smear campaign against him.

The statement which was authorized by the newly elected Chairman of Rivers State APC, Hon. Ojukaye Flag-Amaechree on Thursday, said Wike had plotted to remove the officer after the #endSARS campaign to blackmail the Commander of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) had failed.

“For Governor Wike to budget such a whopping sum of money for a program to run down an innocent Officer who from all intents have being doing his work diligently and satisfactorily to the people of Rivers State…is to us most incredible, unfortunate and unacceptable.

“Today, after sponsoring series of campaign of calumny against this committed loyal officer of the Police Command of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governor Wike has gone further to place advertorial in the front page of all most key Newspapers in Nigeria to sustain the blackmail against ACP Akin Fakorede before the public in order to rubbish the great credentials of this soldier of democracy against militancy and criminal acts he put in place to sustain his hand on the killings and elimination of Rivers State people who are not ready to dance to his dastard acts.

“February of 2016, Wike called Akin Fakorede to his personal residence at midnight and offered him money to work with him. This was in the presence of two PDP chieftains. One is now a National Officer of PDP. Wike was enraged that Akin did not accept the offer.

“In 2016, two soldiers; Lance Corporal Yohanna Kamuji (No. 06NA/58/4456) and one Corporal Bello Lazarus (No. 96NA/143/9888) were brutally killed. Charles Emesiobi, Goodnews Kejeh and Goodluck Nwogbo were arrested with the soldiers’ weapons and a large cache of ammunition. The Rivers state government through the office of the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice asked for their release in writing. Akin refused. He went on to charge them to the Federal High Court – suit No. FHC/PH/10C/2016.”

“The fact remains that during the rerun elections on Dec. 10th, PDP’s official agents were arrested with a large cache of weapons and INEC material. Again Akin Fakorede was asked to release them. Again he refused. The accused have been charged and are currently facing trial. Suit Nos. FHC/PH/86C/2017 and FHC/PH/90C/2017.

The party asked if it has become a crime that anybody who refuses to participate or toe the criminal acts of the Governor must be disgraced and humiliated to warrant the budgeting of a whopping sum of N500M just to pull down ACP Forkede for refusing to join Wike in his support for criminal acts in Rivers State.

The party observed that on the allegation of impropriety against Akin Fakorede, it is a fact that he has been exonerated of allegations of electoral impropriety against him both by the Rivers State Police Command.

The investigation Team instituted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris to investigate Forkede exonerated him as stated in a letter which contradicts Governor Nyesom Wike’s claims that Fakorede was indicted for the 2015 elections and rerun elections in Rivers.

The letter dated December 7, and signed by Deputy Force Secretary 2, DCP M, C. Mukaddas reads: “You will recall that you were queried for serious misconduct via a March 9, 2017 letter. The IGP has carefully considered your representation to the query and found that you are not blameable. He has decided that you be exonerated, and you are hereby exonerated, with effect from December 5, 2017.”

BigPen Online recalls that Governor Wike had alleged that ACP Fakorede is plotting, recruiting, training and arming a special squad to rig next year’s polls for the APC in Rivers state.