Did Mbu Run Away As Jigawa Lawmakers Storm Rivers To Secure ‘Traders’ Release

Efforts by eight members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly to meet with the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu, over the continued detention of 19 suspected members of the radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram, proved abortive on Thursday. The lawmakers, led by Mr. Shehu Wan, had travelled to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on a fact-finding mission on the reason why the police are still holding on to the remaining 19 suspects. The State Police Command had arrested 294 northerners on the suspicion that they are members of the terrorist group as they traveled from Jigawa to Port Harcourt last Sunday at the border between Rivers and Imo States but following their screening by a team of investigators, 275 suspects were released while the remaining 19 suspects were held back for further investigations. Wan, who represents Kalugama Constituency in the Jigawa State House of Assembly, told newsmen that their proposed meeting with Mbu could not hold because he (Mbu) was not in the office. The lawmaker insisted that the remaining 19 suspects were mainly traders and not Boko Haram members as alleged, adding that nothing incriminating was found on them. He said, “We are here because of the arrest of our people from Jigawa State by the Police. We have been here since yesterday and our investigations have shown that 296 people were arrested and 275 have been released. “On our arrival yesterday (Wednesday), almost all of them were released except 19, who are still been held by the police. Our mission here is to find out what really happened. We started with the community leaders. Later, we met with the detainees and after that, with the police. “When we got to the Police Commissioner’s office, he was not on seat. After our meeting with community leaders, we found out that nothing incriminatory was found on them; they are mainly traders and those who come here on annual vacation. “On the official position of the police, the Assistant Commissioner said he was not mandated to talk, the commissioner is not around and the deputy commissioner (of police) is also not around”, Wan said. He explained that the traders always travelled to Rivers to earn a living there after the rainy season, adding that those arrested left Jigawa on Friday January 24, 2014 en route Port Harcourt before they were arrested in a convoy of 17 buses