Rivers State Governor, Sir (*10*) Fubara, has vowed to unravel the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 10 individuals in Kula group, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state, because the police begin an investigation into the incident.
The victims reportedly drowned after a ship capsized throughout a protest in opposition to the retrieval of an oil vessel from the group.
Fubara spoke at Government House, Port Harcourt, whereas addressing residents of Kula group who staged a peaceable protest at his workplace.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Sunny Ewule, sympathised with the bereaved households and appealed to the residents to stay calm and keep away from taking the legislation into their very own arms.
He assured the group that anybody discovered culpable within the incident would face the complete wrath of the legislation.
According to him, the state authorities wouldn’t relaxation till it established the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
“We need to sympathise with the Kula group and the bereaved households.
“Anybody who is involved in this incident or found culpable for whatever happened will definitely pay for it according to the law. We are not going to sit by and allow Rivers indigenes to go through this type of unnecessary death,” he mentioned.
Earlier, the chief of the Kula group delegation, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, mentioned they visited Government House to formally report the incident and search the federal government’s intervention.
“It is proper we inform him (Fubara) because we don’t want to take the law into our hands. We have the capacity to react, but we don’t want to react,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command mentioned it had commenced an investigation into the deaths following a reported boat capsize throughout a confrontation between youths and males in navy uniform in Kula group.
The Command’s spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
“The Rivers State Police Command is conscious of the incident in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, which reportedly resulted within the lack of lives.
“Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Agabe mentioned.
