By Dele Ogbodo
In continuation of the lingering cold war between the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and his immediate successor,
Chief Nyesom Wike, the minister’s media team has accused the security personnel attached to the Governor of allegedly vandalizing Amaechi’s car resulting in the side mirror broken, during the week end in Port Harcourt.
In a statement made available to the media by Amaechi’s team from Port Harcourt, said: “In a blatant show of naked raw power, Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi this afternoon narrowly escaped being shot by security men attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
“His car wasn’t that lucky though. The car was vandalized with a broken side mirror.”
The incident according to the team occurred along Trans-Amadi road, Nwaja axis, Port Harcourt, when the minister arrived the Rivers State capital.
The statement read: “Accompanied by cars of many of his supporters, the Minister’s black jeep was intercepted and blocked at the junction by the security Motorcycle Outrider attached to Wike after two cars had passed through.
“One of the two cars had security men assigned to protect the minister in Port Harcourt. Suddenly, gun-totting security men attached to Wike’s convoy, surrounded the Minister’s car, threatening to shoot him.
“They hit the car, tried to smash the windscreens, back and side windows and broke a side mirror. All through this attack, Amaechi remained calm, inside the fortified Jeep. While the attacked occurred, Wike remained inside his vehicle.”
It added that Amaechi, eventually passed through after the intervention of the security team on ground to protect him in Port Harcourt, stressing that when Wike, got to the point where the incident occurred after Amaechi’s vehicle had gone by, his security men blocked the road again, he was alleged to have dragged out from a vehicle and thoroughly beat up a police man attached to protect Amaechi in Port Harcourt.
While the statement did not reveal the name of the Policeman, his riffle was it said to have been confiscated from him.
“Wike came out of his car, and with his security team was going from one vehicle to another, of Amaechi supporters, charging at them, harassing and abusing them. Wike’s security men were heard loudly insulting Amaechi and called him all sorts of derogative names.
“This is a crass show of high handedness, arbitrary behaviour and abuse of public office by a State governor who has no care for the safety of Rivers people.” the statement said.