The Rivers State Police Command on Friday arrested the member representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Chinyere Igwe, for being in possession of $498,100 cash alongside a list of those to receive the money.
The police said Igwe was arrested along Ana Road, Port Harcourt, on Friday morning, noting that the lawmaker would be arraigned as soon as courts resumed.
When asked when he would be arraigned, one of the Commissioners of Police deployed in the state for the presidential and National Assembly elections, Adeoye Aderemi, told our correspondent in an interview, “As soon as the court resumes. The court didn’t sit today.” Meanwhile, the court is expected to resume sitting on Monday.
Igwe is said to be a supporter of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and is said to have fallen out of favour with Governor Nyesom Wike.
The spokesperson for the police command in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, said Igwe was arrested during a stop and search by operatives deployed to the Independent National Electoral Commission along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
Following his arrest, Iringe-Koko said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police deployed in the state for the election, Abutu Yaro, had ordered his swift interrogation and arraignment in court.
The statement by the police read, “Police officers from Rivers State command deployed to INEC headquarters, Aba Road, on February 24 at about 0245hrs, while on stop and search, arrested one Hon Chinyere Igwe, member House of Representatives representing Port Harcourt II Federal Constituency with a cash sum of $498,100 inside a bag in his car.
“Also recovered was a list for distribution of the money. The command urges all candidates and political parties to comply strictly with provisions of the Electoral Act and other relevant laws.”
Iringe-Koko urged residents of the state to take advantage of the hotlines made available by the police to report suspicious movements and situations capable of causing security breaches.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the PDP presidential campaign council in Rivers State, Dr Leloonu Nwibubasa, said “No reaction” when he was contacted by our correspondent. However, the Director of Publicity and Communications, Rivers State PDP Campaign Council, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, described the development as unfortunate.
Nwuke said in a statement, “We learnt that law enforcement officials picked up a member of our great party closely linked to the presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. It is unfortunate that such an occurrence pertaining to a serving federal lawmaker will take place at this time.
Meanwhile, a group, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability has berated the police for releasing the video of the interrogation of the lawmaker.
The group’s national coordinator, Mr Prince Wiro, in a statement said nobody is above the law but that it was “highly unprofessional for an investigating officer to make public the video recording of interrogation of Hon Chinyere Igwe or any other suspect. Such records are only released in court when necessary.
“I call on AIG Abutu Yaro, the supervising AIG in Rivers election, to immediately order an investigation to ascertain how the video record of the interrogation of Hon Chinyere Igwe was sent to the public. Such an act is a clear violation of investigation procedures, ethics and code of conduct of the police.”
