Wike declares Rivers’ SARS commander unwanted

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has said that the video tape showing the Officer in charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad  (SARS), Mr Akin Fakorede, in a scuffle with polling agents and which has gone viral, has vindicated his earlier statements that the credibility of the December 10 legislative election in the state has been compromised.

Following the content of the video tape, Governor Wike declared that the government and people  of the state would no longer play host to Mr. Akin Fakorede, alleging that he (Fakorede) was one of the two police officers who were perpetually engaged in professional  misconduct in Rivers State.  The Second Officer, he said, was the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Operations, Steven Hasso.

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In a press conference, Tuesday, the governor told journalists in Port Harcourt that  following the invitation  of Mr. Akin  Fakorede by the Police High Command  after he was spotted in the viral video leading SARS Personnel  to invade the  Rivers East Senatorial District Collation centre, the SARS  Commander was transferred  to  Rivers State to  destroy  the  security  architecture of the state from all indications.

He regretted that the invitation  extended to the embattled  SARS  Commander  to Abuja was merely aimed at sweeping  the crime against  democracy  under the carpet and added that providence  had made it possible  for the SARS  Commander  to be captured on video battering electoral officials and attempting to hijack election materials and results.

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“It is unfortunate  that the Force Public Relations Officer would sit in Abuja and claim that the men who invaded the Rivers East Senatorial District Collation Office were not policemen. The Electoral Officer who was beaten up was clearly seen in the video holding unto Akin Fakorede . This is very shameful.  The police we have today is not the police that we use to know. It pains me that this was the man that I have  complained about  to the Inspector-General of Police and anyone who cared to listen is doing a hatchet job in the state,” he said.

The governor  stated that if left in the state, “Akin Fakorede  would continue  to  connive with Armed Robbers  and cultists to  compromise  security  in the state.”

According to the governor, even  during the March 19 Rerun elections , “Akin Fakorede played very negative roles which necessitated  his transfer back to the state.”