REVEALED: How we were offered N200m to blackmail Fubara's aide over burning down of Rivers Assembly — Acquitted suspects

• Four men antecedently charged implicit the Rivers Assembly occurrence accidental they were pressured to falsely implicate Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara
• The suspects allege they were offered ₦200 cardinal and promised relocation abroad, and were tortured during their six-month detention to coerce mendacious confessions
• Now acquitted, the men impulse civilian nine and the media to defy the weaponization of authorities institutions against guiltless citizens

Four men antecedently charged implicit the occurrence incidental astatine the Rivers authorities House of Assembly successful October 2023 person claimed they were pressured to falsely implicate Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The men, Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini, who were acquitted of each charges successful November 2024, addressed journalists connected Monday successful Port Harcourt, revealing what they described arsenic a six-month ordeal of unlawful detention and attempts to coerce them into governmental framing.

Rivers Assembly Fire: How We're Given N200m, Others to Implicate Fubara's Aide — Acquitted Suspects
Source: Twitter

Ezebalike: They wanted america to prevarication against Edison Ehie

Speaking connected behalf of the group, Ezebalike alleged that a well-known PDP person successful Obio/Akpor Local Government Area had reached retired to them recently, offering incentives successful speech for a rewritten connection implicating Ehie arsenic the designer of the Assembly fire.

“We were asked to rewrite our communicative and falsely sanction Edison Ehie arsenic the mastermind of the Assembly fire. This is aft everything we person been through. We cannot beryllium portion of immoderate nefarious plot, particularly not aft the trauma we endured,” Ezebalike said.

The suspects assertion the bribe connection included a staggering ₦200 cardinal and a committedness of relocation overseas each designed to corroborate claims antecedently made by the erstwhile Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, successful a property briefing successful Abuja.

Accused of arson, murder, and attempted assassination

The 4 men said they were falsely linked to the arson astatine the Assembly complex, the sidesplitting of SP Bako Angbashim — the Divisional Police Officer successful Ahoada — and an alleged assassination effort connected the Speaker of the Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.

Their arrests occurred betwixt December 5, 2023, and January 5, 2024. During this period, they allege they were blindfolded, denied entree to ineligible counsel, and held astatine the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) installation successful Port Harcourt.

“We were beaten, starved, and forced to motion confessions we ne'er wrote. A serving lawmaker adjacent came with a uniformed serviceman to propulsion america to sanction Edison Ehie, and erstwhile we refused, they became violent,” they said.

After spending implicit six months astatine the Kuje Correctional Facility successful Abuja, the lawsuit was aboriginal moved to the Federal High Court successful Port Harcourt, wherever each charges were dismissed successful November 2024.

With their state restored, the radical says they consciousness a motivation work to exposure the alleged maltreatment of authorities powerfulness and manipulation of justice.

“This state belongs to america all. No 1 should beryllium tortured oregon forced to prevarication for governmental convenience. We telephone connected civilian society, the media, and each justice-loving Nigerians to emergence and defy the weaponization of authorities institutions against guiltless citizens,” Ezebalike declared.

Court rders Police, DSS against arresting Fubara's ally

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Rivers State High Court sitting successful Port Harcourt, the authorities capital, has ordered the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and different information agencies to desist from arresting the main of unit to the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Edison Ehie.

Justice IPC Igwe of the proceedings tribunal reportedly gave the bid portion ruling connected the question brought earlier him by Ehie, who was the applicant successful the suit.

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Source: Legit.ng