Amaechi petitions National Human Rights Commission over Rivers police

By JIMITOTA ONOYUME, Port Harcourt

GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi has called on the National Human Rights Commission to urgently intervene in what he termed the deteriorating human rights situation in the state.

The governor, in a petition addressed to the Director General of the Commission, accused the state Police Commissioner, Mr Joseph Mbu of rights violation, saying there was urgent need for the commission to look into the issues with a view to redressing them

“I Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, 48, male, Christian, married, presently residing in Port Harcourt. In my capacity as the governor of Rivers state, compelled by the duty I owe to Rivers people as their chief Security Officer … request for the urgent exercise of the powers and functions conferred on the NHRC towards addressing a grave and deteriorating human rights situation in the state.

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‘’There are on-going human rights violations in Rivers state falling within the investigative and other duties of the National Human Rights Commission. ‘’Abuses which need the independent and human rights competences and capabilities of the National Human Rights Commission as ably demonstrated in your ground breaking engagement   of the Baga incident and the situation in North East Nigeria, which interim report bears   many striking resemblance   to the situation in Rivers state,” he said. “The Nigeria Police force, Rivers state command under its present Commissioner has become inaccessible and actively antagonistic to my person and office as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Court orders are being obeyed in the breach by the leadership of the police in Rivers state.

While security communications or directives from the state government are treated with even greater contempt as they are no longer even acknowledged”, he said