Authorities of the Cross River State Police Command have made frantic moves to pacify the Calabar community after a policeman, described as mentally deranged, shot and killed three persons and injured several others.

The police authorities said the incident happened before 6:00 am on Sunday morning at the Atakpa divisional police headquarters Calabar, adjacent to the popular Watt market.

There was pandemonium and fear as people scampered for safety.

However, a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Superintendent Irene Ugbo, said: “Efforts to engage with key stakeholders are ongoing to ensure that the tension in the community is de-escalated.”

Explaining what happened, the statement said the officer, identified as Inspector Effiong Bassey, serving at the Atakpa Police divisional headquarters, upon returning from his duty post, armed with AK-47 rifle, suddenly ran amock and shot dead three persons.

He was also said to have shot and injured three more passersby and bystanders.

“Bassey returned from his night duty at Ekondo Microfinance Bank and began to exhibit abnormal behavior.

“Inspector Bassey refused to hand over the AK-47 rifle he was assigned and instead proceeded to block the station’s gate, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the premises. Despite attempts at peaceful dialogue to resolve the situation, the officer’s actions escalated.

“Subsequently, tactical units/patrol teams were deployed to the scene, where Inspector Bassey, suspected to be mentally deranged, opened fire on bystanders who had been instructed to leave the area.

“Tragically, three individuals were struck by the officer’s stray bullets, including Ijeoma Wilson Obot, a 41-year-old female, who later succumbed to her injuries.

“The other two victims, Charles Mkpang and another individual, are currently receiving medical treatment and are in stable condition,” the statement said.

The statement added that Bassey was eventually subdued, disarmed, arrested and detained.

The incident is being investigated, the statement noted.

The police image maker added that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 6 Headquarters, Calabar, Mohammed Bala, and the Cross River State Command Management Team visited the hospital where the victims were receiving care.

Condoling the family of the deceased and wishing the injured speedy recovery, the Police Command called on the public to remain calm as the investigation into the tragic incident continues.

The Board of Trustees of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State.

This is as the BoT faulted the National Assembly for ratifying the President’s action via a mere voice vote instead of the constitutional two-thirds majority.

The body demanded the immediate reversal of the emergence rule, which it said “is a gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution.”

Chairman of the PDP BoT and former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, in a Sunday statement on behalf of the body, said the action of Mr President could only be imagined during a military era.

The statement read: “The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, vehemently, and in very strong terms, condemns President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the democratically- elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the State House of Assembly. His decision to replace them with a sole Administrator is undemocratic and alien to our Constitution.

“This action is a gross violation of Nigeria’s Constitution – the foundational legal document that guarantees the rights of Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. It is an attack on the very essence of our Republic. It’s an action that deserves the strongest condemnation and corrective action by all well-meaning Nigerians, the judiciary, civil society, and the international community.

“In my capacity as the Chairman of BoT of our great party, the PDP, and a former Senate President, I call for the reversal of this assault on our democracy. It’s sad and disheartening that Mr President ignored my earlier advice to ignore those calling for emergency rule in Rivers State.

” I had also advised him not to lean towards those attempting to hijack power through the back door in Rivers State. I had then sought his intervention as the father of the nation because the political crisis in Rivers State, if mismanaged, is capable of plunging the entire country into a needless political turmoil.

“I unequivocally denounce the President’s action, which disregards the rule of law and undermines the sovereignty of the people of Rivers State. This grossly- undemocratic action constitutes a violation of our Constitution, which the President solemnly swore to uphold, and threatens the very foundation of democracy in Nigeria.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s action only reminded Nigerians of the better-forgotten era of military dictatorship. Could it be a mere coincidence that the day the PDP National Secretariat land in Abuja was revoked by the APC-led administration , was the same day the Governor of Rivers State was served impeachment notice?”

“Nigeria’s Constitution, under Section 7(1), mandates that each state shall have a government that is formed through the democratic process of elections. The people of Rivers State exercised their democratic rights in electing their leaders, including the State Governor, Deputy Governor, and Members of the House of Assembly.

“These leaders were not appointed by the President or any other authority but were chosen by the people to represent their interests. The Constitution guarantees their right to serve the duration of their mandate, and the President’s unilateral suspension of these duly elected officials is a direct breach of the people’s will.

The PDP BoT acknowledged the President’s power to declare emergency rule on any state, but it said the power is not limitless.

“Where as the President under Section 305 of the Constitution, is vested with the power to declare a state of emergency, such power is not without limits. The President can only declare a state of emergency in specific circumstances such as war, insurrection, or other situations that threaten the integrity of the nation. The situation in Rivers State does not meet the constitutional criteria for such a declaration. “

It further read: “The absence of any pressing national emergency renders the President’s decision not only unwarranted but also an abuse of power. A declaration of emergency does not automatically dissolve or suspend elected state governments. The Constitution does not empower the President to unilaterally remove or replace elected officials; such actions amount to an unconstitutional usurpation of power and a fundamental breach of Nigeria’s federal structure.

“The President’s decision to replace democratically elected officials with an unelected Sole Administrator is nothing short of a democratic travesty. It is a stark reminder of the fragility of our democratic institutions and the persistence of authoritarian tendencies by the President.

” By dissolving the elected government of Rivers State, the President has effectively denied the people their right to be governed by officials of their choosing. This move is not just unconstitutional; it is a blatant effort to subvert democracy and install unelected officials who are more likely to be subservient to executive power than representatives of the people.”

The PDP BoT expressed shock that President Tinubu, who stoutly opposed the emergency rule imposed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in the North East in 2013, would be applying the same measure he condemned.

“It’s surprising that Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who condemned President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, when he proclaimed a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States that Boko Haram insurgents ravaged, could declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend democratically -elected government unprovoked.

“This is nothing short of hypocrisy and a well-orchestrated plan to highjack power from Rivers State Governor in the accomplishment of his 2027 presidential ambition. This is a veiled plot for APC to take over Rivers State.

The statement further read: “In a democracy, power belongs to the people, not to the whims of the executive. When the people of Rivers State chose their representatives, they entrusted them with the responsibility to govern according to their wishes and in accordance with the Constitution.

“The President’s action has upended that process and deprived the citizens of Rivers State of their constitutional right to self-governance. This is a dangerous precedent that could be replicated in other states across the country, and it is one that all Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, should reject.”

The PDP BoT further accused President Tinubu of bias against Governor Siminalayi Fubara for blaming only the Governor for the crisis in Rivers while tactfully shielding other gladiators.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was hypocritical, deceptive and playing to the gallery when he said in his nationwide broadcast that he made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but his efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.

“Can he deny that his allies are part of the political crisis rocking Rivers State? Why did he in his hypocritical broadcast fail to call them to order or blame them the way he blamed Gov. Fubara? It’s only obvious that Mr President tactfully shielded those acting out his script for unconstitutional takeover of power in Rivers State.”

The statement also faulted President Tinubu for accusing Governor Fubara of failing to prevent the explosion at the oil pipelines when the security agencies were not under the president’s command.

“Mr President claimed that the latest security reports made available to him showed that there had been disturbing incidents of pipeline vandalism by some militant without the Governor taking any action, as if the Governor was the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) or the Chief of Defense Staff. He was invariably looking for unjustifiable excuse for his dictatorial actions.”

The PDP BoT queried the constitutionality of the President’s pronouncement that the Sole Administrator he appointed for Rivers would “be free to formulate regulations,” alleging it is a ploy to gain illegal access to Rivers’ funds.

“Equally disturbing is President Ahmed Tinubu’s statement that “the Administrator will not make any new laws but will be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.

“This is a dangerous overreach and a terrible precedence that speaks volumes of the President’s intentions to un-democratically usurp power from Rivers State Governor and undermine the Legislative Arm of Government vested with the responsibility of making laws. Is this not a veiled plot to gain unholy access to Rivers funds?

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the struggle over the control of Rivers’ resources is the genesis of the political crisis rocking the state. It’s an open secret that those who see Gov. Fubara as an obstacle to their unfettered access to Rivers’ Treasury have been pushing to remove him from office at all costs.

PDP BoT said it was further devastated “by the provocative process adopted by the National Assembly in ratifying the action of Mr President.”

The body said that approving a state of emergency via a voice vote instead of the constitutional two-third majority “is another travesty of justice, legislative rascality and rape of democracy.”

“The claims by the Speaker of the House of Representatives that there were 243 members on the register is laughable. Those 243 members should be physically present in the chamber and not on the register. Names on the register without physical presence do not in any way translate to a two-thirds majority. What translates to a two-thirds majority is physical voting or electronic voting. The presiding officer will mention your name, and you say ‘Aye or Nay.’ Afterward, they will calculate the numbers and do the arithmetic until you get a two-thirds majority.

“Such a serious matter cannot be decided through a voice vote; otherwise, somebody may come up one day and say the President, Governor or Council Chairman has been impeached via a voice vote. It’s undemocratic! You must do the arithmetic physical counting or electronic ballot to arrive at a two-thirds majority, and that cannot be done by voice vote. In the Senate, the two-thirds majority is 73. The National Assembly must not be seen as a rubber stamp but serve as checks to the other arms of Government.
The National Assembly must not disappoint Nigerians in the discharge of their constitutional duties but rise to the occasion and help find a political and lasting solution to the crisis in Rivers State. They should engage Mr President and find a way to adopt a Doctrine of Necessity to salvage the situation.”

Therefore, it called on the National Assembly to protect Nigeria’s democracy from the Executive’s strangulation.

“The National Assembly must defend our democracy and protect the rule of law. Our Constitution must be upheld as the supreme legal authority in all circumstances, and we must ensure that power remains firmly in the hands of the people, where it rightfully belongs. The Nigerian people deserve no less.

PDP BoT expressed solidarity for Governor Fubara and the people of Rivers State over their current challenge.

“Members of the PDP Board of Trustees, join the PDP Governors Forum, and the NWC to stand in solidarity with His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, and the good people of Rivers State at this very difficult and trying moment of the state’s political history.”

Barely a week after a major explosion on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, another blast occurred, this time at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru Local Government Area.

The explosion has further heightened concerns over the security of oil infrastructure in the region.

The latest explosion, confirmed by the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), was reported on Sunday.

The grassroots NGO, with a strong presence in the Niger Delta, disclosed that its youth volunteers had alerted the organization about the early morning blast at the Soku oil facility, operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited.

In a statement signed by the Executive Director, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC-Nigeria revealed that an explosion, accompanied by fireballs, was heard and seen rising from the facility.

“The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report,” the statement noted.

However, the facility remains difficult to access, and the exact cause of the explosion is still unknown.

As the investigation continues, speculation surrounds the cause of the explosion. Possible causes mentioned include equipment failure, sabotage, or a deliberate attack.

This marks the third such incident in the oil-rich Rivers State within a week, raising serious concerns about the state’s oil infrastructure security.

The first explosion occurred in Ogoni, followed by another in the Oga/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.

These incidents were referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast on March 18, where he declared a six-month state of emergency in Rivers State, partly due to the repeated attacks on the region’s oil infrastructure.

In response to these attacks, the President suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, citing the governor’s failure to protect oil facilities.

YEAC-Nigeria has called for an immediate investigation into the latest Soku explosion.

The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the explosion and ensure accountability.

“Perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), 2021,” YEAC-Nigeria stressed in the statement, as they demanded swift action to address the escalating violence in the region.