Rivers drops murder case against factional Rivers APC chairman
By Amaka Agbu, Port Harcourt
In line with an earlier reconciliatory gesture to political opponents, the Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike on Wednesday dropped yet another murder charge against the embattled factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.
The move came barely 24 hours after a similar action was taken on Tuesday at the state High Court 2, presided over by Justice Joy Akpughunum in favour of the factional chairman.
When the case was mentioned at the Appeal Court on Wednesday, Justice Chinwendu Worgu struck it out after counsel for state government, Mr. Francis Obla, filed a nulli prosqui (motion to drop the case) prepared by the state Attorney-General, Zacheus Adangor.
Gov. Wike had as soon as he was announced winner of the March 9 governorship election in the state by INEC, directed the state attorney-general to review all pending criminal cases linked to politics before the 2019 elections.
The governor also in a statewide broadcast directed the attorney-general to make recommendations to promote reconciliation between him and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and other political gladiators in the state in order to forge a common front to move the state forward.
The state counsel told the court that the state has indicated its unwillingness to continue with the matter.
Flag-Amachree, a strong political ally of the minister of transportation has been facing the murder trial following the election violence that characterized the 2015 general elections in Buguma in which several persons lost their lives.
