THE All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has accused the Rivers State Government and its agents of being behind the murder of a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Mr. Ken Atsuete.
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Atsuete was kidnapped and later killed by a group of unknown gunmen suspected to be assassins, on Monday, even as the Rivers State Police Command insisted that it was not a case of assassination.
But speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Chairman of the APC, Dr. Davies Ikanya, on Tuesday, explained that Atsuete’s death was “clearly” a case of premeditated murder.
Ikanya also recalled that the late lawyer had threatened to expose the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, on how he (Nwanosike) allegedly obtained a fake court order asking the Independent National Electoral Commission not to announce the legislative rerun election in the Tai LGA.
Ikanya, who spoke through his deputy, Chief Peter Odike, pointed out that it was not long after Atsuete threatened to expose Nwanosike that he (Atsuete) was killed by unknown gunmen.
“Further interaction with the workers of the murdered lawyer revealed that it was clearly a case of premeditated murder, considering the dimension of what happened.
“We recall that the APC had said that the present state government led by Governor Nyesom Wike cannot stop the violence, killings and maiming that have become part of the everyday life of the people and residents of Rivers State.
“The APC wishes to be put on the record that the Rivers State Government and its agents must be held responsible for the killing of Barrister Ken Atsuete and the reasons for our allegation are obvious and lucid,” the party said.
Ikanya argued that Atsuete was one of the leading counsels for an APC chieftain, Mr. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, currently incarcerated on trumped-up charges.
Calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to rise to the occasion and fish out those behind the killing of the lawyer, the state APC chairman also called on the Nigerian Bar Association to prevail on relevant authorities to unravel the crime.
Reacting, the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, condemned any attempt to politicise Atsuete’s murder, even as he said the police should be allowed to carry out their investigation.
Nwanosike, who spoke on behalf of the government and the PDP, said it was wrong for anybody to politicise the killing of the young lawyer without minding the pain being suffered by his family.
“The PDP calls upon the police to pay close attention to persons who make categorical statements as to the circumstances of the murder of the late barrister Ken Atsuete as their statements are suggestive of the fact that they know what actually happened to him and, probably, the particular individuals responsible for his dastardly murder.
“The PDP calls on the police to invite the makers of such statements to enable the police to thoroughly investigate their claims, and if the statements are found to be true, the person(s) fingered should be charged with the offences established by investigation, including and not limited to the charge of the murder of the late Atsuete,” he stated.
He said the PDP government in the state would provide logistic support to the police and other intelligence agencies to enable them to fish out those behind Atsuete’s killing.
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