Oil Theft: Wike Orders Arrest of Rivers Federal Lawmaker Blessing Ibunge In Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Nyesom Wike has ordered the arrest of a lawmaker representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Chinyere Igwe for complicity in illegal oil bunkering.

Wike added the state government would ensure the prosecution of Igwe, the owner of Mega Tool Filling Station on Ojoto Street Diobu axis to demonstrate the resolve to reduce illegal oil bunkering in the state to the barest minimum.

He gave the order yesterday while unveiling the construction of inner roads in Omagwa performed by former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah Jang.

Security operatives had sealed the business outlets of supporters of presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Austin Okpara located in the Port Harcourt metropolis, Rivers State.

They had also sealed Mega Tool Filling Station belonging to Hon. Chinyere Igwe, Priscy’s Lounge owned by a former member in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Jones Ogbonda and Preray Hotel, the property of former PDP Chairman of Port Harcourt LGA, Mr Ikechi Chinda.

At the unveiling of Omagwa’s internal roads yesterday, Wike ordered that the said filling station be sealed two day ago insisted in keeping with the fight against illegal oil bunkering.

He also ordered the security agencies “to identify the owner and arrest him for prosecution. If I hear of any filling station involved in oil bunkering, I will close that filling station.

“I have directed the security agencies to identify the owner of the filling station in Diobu and arrest that person. We are going to prosecute the person. It doe not matter how highly placed that person is. Some of you should be used to teach a lesson. We cannot allow oil bunkering.

“We will reduce it to the barest minimum. So, I have ordered the security agencies to identify who owns that filling station that was sealed up two days ago and arrest the owner. Let him tell us why he is involved in oil bunkering.”

Faulting Wike’s claims, Igwe lamented that he was suffering from political victimisation.

Igwe, who spoke with THISDAY yesterday, alleged that his offence was because he “is supporting Atiku’s presidential aspiration. This is a case of political victimisation. He is victimising us because we are aligning with Hon Austin Okpara.

“The security operatives were on directive. When they came there, they went round and did not found one jerry can of fuel, not even a cup in the filling station.

“They thought we were engaging in bunkering. But when they did not see anything, they just sealed the place with their own padlock they came with and position their vehicles”.

Speaking on the security of the state, Wike his administration has been spending huge resources to guarantee safety of lives and property, hence, will not hesitate to clamp down on any group of individuals who want to destabilise the State.

He said: “If I hear anybody holding meeting, whether in the restaurant, whether in the hotel and I find out that cultists are there, we will invade that place. I will not give anybody breathing space to organise yourselves to attack. I will not agree.”

He also said all those who have been patronised by the state government with one contract or the other, and have now severed camp with him should stay clear from his interest or be ready to face his fireworks.

“If anybody fights our system, we will fight the person back. The moment you claim to be working with us and tomorrow, you shift to our enemy, we will take every might we have, we will even leave our enemies and finish you first.”

Wike urged Rivers electorate to be decisive in giving their votes to those who will work for the greatness of the state and deliver to them dividend of democracy.