GOVERNOR WIKE REDEEMS HIS TWENTY MILLION NAIRA PLEDGE.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has redeemed his pledge of twenty million naira compensation to the families of each of the soldiers and policemen killed by members of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB) in Oyigbo Local Government Area two weeks ago.

Governor Wike had announced the compensation during a condelence visit to the River State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan and families of the slain policemen at the Rivers Police Command in Port Harcourt.

Presenting the cheques to the widows of the slain policemen and soldiers at the offices of the State Commissioner of police and General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, the Governor said the gesture is in fulfilling of his earlier promise to alleviate the plight of the widows following the gruesome murder of their husbands.

The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Governor, Dr. Tammy Wennike Danagogo and accompanied by the Commissioner for information, Paulinus Nsirim and Commissioner for Social Welfare, Inime Aguma, described the senseless and gruesome murder of the policemen and soldiers by the proscribed IPOB members as unacceptable and unfortunate, and one that should be condemn by every reasonable and right thinking Nigerian.

At the office of the State Commissioner of Police, Governor Wike restated that the Rivers State Government will not tolerate any terrorist group in the state and stop at nothing to ensure that IPOB or any other criminal group is not allowed to kill any innocent citizen in the state, particularly policemen and soldiers who are defending and protecting citizens of the state.

He re-emphasised that Governor Wike did not hate the Igbos or any other ethnic Nationality living and doing business in the state, but want them as Nigerians, to always be law abiding.

The State Chief Executive assured the State Commissioner of Police that the Rivers State Government will always stand with the police to fight crime and criminality in the state to ensure that criminal elements get rid off in the state.

At the office of the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Governor Wike said he was there to commiserate with the Nigerian Army, the widows and families of the 6 soldiers killed by IPOB as well as to redeem the twenty million naira compesation promised by the State Government.

The Governor who described the loss of the soldiers as not only that of the army, but also the state government, assured the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt that the Rivers State Government will ensure that the criminal elements who killed the soldiers and cart away their arms and ammunitions are fetched out and prosecuted.

He lauded the GOC 6 Division and officers of the Nigerian Army for their effort in ensuring that peace reign in the state, assuring that no terrorist group would be allowed ao annex any part of the state.

Responding, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mukan, on behalf of the Inspector Genenral of Police, Mohammed Adamu thanked Governor Wike for fulflling his promise, saying the gesture will go a long way to put smiles on the faces of the widows and their loved ones as well as serve as a source of encouragement to officers and men of the Rivers State Police Command.

The Police Commissioner noted that the IG has given a matching order that IPOB has no bussiness in Rivers State, and assured the people of the state that the Rivers State Police Command will fight IPOB to a standstill, urging them to relocate or ready to be forced out of the state.

In his remarks, the General Officer Commanding 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Orlu Irefin expressed the gratitude of the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratia and the entire Nigerian Army to the Rivers Sate Governor for the gesture to the widows of the slain soldiers, saying the support will go a long way to ameliorate their plight.

Major General Irefin also thanked the Governor for his support to the Nigerian Army, particularly the imposition of curfew in Oyigbo Local Government Area, saying the measure has helped the army to track down some of the criminal elements in the area.

Major General Irefin assured that the army will do all it could to ensure that normalcy is restored in Oyigbo as well as peace and security reign supreme in the state.