Police officers blocked Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi's entrance to Government House (VIDEO & PHOTOS)

In a fresh twist to the crisis rocking the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), some heavily armed policemen prevented the convoy of the Rivers state governor, Amaechi from entering the state’s government house.

Amaechi was in company with 102 former Speakers of state Houses of Assembly when a team of policemen, allegedly drafted by the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, blocked the Forces Avenue which leads to Amaechi’s residence in the Government House.

More pictures + video after the break
After about 30 minutes of heated argument between Amaechi, his aides and the policemen, the governor’s convoy had to turn back and take another route.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who confirmed the incident, told newsmen that even when the governor personally came down from his vehicle to introduce himself to the leader of the police team, he and his guests were still not allowed passage.

The leader of the team, according to her, said, “ I do not take orders from civilians.’

The incident, it was learnt, lasted for more than 30 minutes before the governor decided to take another way.

Semenitari said, “The State Commissioner of Police ordered his men to barricade the road. Indeed, they (policemen) knew that it was the governor.

“The governor came down from his vehicle and introduced himself to the leader of the police team that blocked the road. But the leader said he does not take orders from civilians.

“The governor, who was with some visitors, later turned back and took a longer route to his residence inside the Government House.”

Also, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, told newsmen that Amaechi was with 102 former speakers that came from different parts of the country when the incident happened.

Okocha added that the incident happened in the full glare of the visitors and described it as unfortunate. He added that it was planned to embarrass the governor.

He said there was a heated argument between the governor’s entourage and the policemen that blocked the road before he (Amaechi) decided to leave the scene.

He pointed out that the thinking earlier was that the policemen were only guiding the sealed New PDP secretariat located on the same road.

The Chief of Staff said, “It is good that this happened in the full glare of the visitors. We have said it on several occasions that Rivers State is under siege. Mbu ordered his men to stop the governor from entering the Government House.

“We did not bother to call the Commissioner of Police because some of the policemen there said they were acting on his (Mbu) order.”

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