Rivers State Commissioner Of Police To Be Sanctioned For Aiding Governor Wike

Gov. Wike

The Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, Mr. Francis Odesanya, is under fire for his role in the aborted arrest of a judge of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, in the early hours of Saturday, the Punch learnt on Sunday.
News emerged on Saturday morning that Wike alongside some 'thugs' acted on a tip off to block off the men of the secret service from arresting a judge suspected to be corrupt.


The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, was said to have rushed to No. 35, Forces Avenue, the GRA official residence of the judge and prevented operatives of the Department of State Services from arresting the judge. Wike, who was said to have had a confrontation with the DSS officials, was said to have been joined at the scene by the police commissioner.

A highly-placed source, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity, on Sunday, said preliminary report had shown that Odesanya prevented the security agencies from carrying out a legitimate order.

Based on the report, he said the police authorities as well as the Police Service Commission would sanction the police boss. He, however, did not disclose the kind of punishment to be meted out to him.

The source stated, “The Rivers Commissioner of Police will be dealt with appropriately. It has been established that the DSS officials who were at the judge’s residence had with them duly signed search and arrest warrants.

“By stopping the security agents from doing their work, what he did was to obstruct justice. He stopped those people from carrying out a legitimate order. “He will be sanctioned accordingly.”

The Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, had told journalists that policemen were only at the judge’s residence to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.