Supporters of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and those backing the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, got into a confrontation on Wednesday during a medical outreach session in the Eliozu community within Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
The altercation reportedly started as the state Ministry of Health officials were conducting a medical outreach program for women at the Eliozu Health Centre.
A group of supporters allegedly loyal to a factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, arrived at the venue early into the program to inquire about the gathering reasons.
The venue happened to be situated near the residence of Amaewhule, who leads the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike.
However, supporters of the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Chijioke Ihunwo, who support Fubara, were present at the venue and reportedly prevented the other group from accessing the venue, sparking a heated argument that escalated into a clash.
As a result of the scuffle, stones were thrown from various directions, leading to the abrupt interruption of the medical outreach.
Shortly after, a riot police team arrived at the scene, using teargas to disperse the conflicting groups and restore order.
Reports later revealed that a child who had inadvertently inhaled the teargas was quickly taken into the facility and eventually recovered.
Subsequently, the medical outreach program was relocated to a state-owned medical center in the Waterlines area of Port Harcourt, the state capital, for its continuation.
In response to the incident, Ihunwo accused Amaewhule of orchestrating the disruption of the outreach event.
Ihunwo expressed, “This morning, there was an incident at the Eliozu Health Centre where the former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, led some security personnel to disrupt a program by the Ministry of Health.
“Shortly after, police officers arrived and started mistreating our women, firing teargas at pregnant women present at the health center.
“We want to emphasize that Obio/Akpor Local Government Area will not be under siege. We call on the President, Bola Tinubu, that the Inspector General of Police and the Minister of the FCT are tarnishing the reputation of your administration.
“We urge you to intervene and ensure peace in Rivers State. Let the FCT Minister focus on his responsibilities in Abuja and refrain from troubling our esteemed Governor.”
When reached for comment, Martins Wachukwu, media aide to Amaewhule, requested to speak to the correspondent on Thursday morning.
Wachukwu briefly stated, “Please, I will address this matter tomorrow morning.”
The spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.
In a brief message to the correspondent, Iringe-Koko mentioned that the police responded to a distress call concerning the situation and that an investigation was currently ongoing.
She explained, “A distress call was received from the health center in the Eliozu community today, July 24, 2024, where supporters of two separate political factions were involved in a confrontation.
“The police promptly dispatched operatives to restore order.
“The police utilized anti-riot measures, including canisters, to disperse the crowds. An investigation into the incident has been launched.”