The Senate Committee on Police Affairs on Tuesday began investigation into the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting of the senator representing Rivers South-east district in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe by men of the Rivers State Police Command.
Abe, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Down-Stream), was allegedly shot twice with rubber bullets by the police on Sunday, as they disrupted a political rally organised by a political pressure group, the Save Rivers Movement (SRM), at the State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt.
After being treated at two hospitals in Port Harcourt where he was rushed to, the senator was later flown to London for proper medical attention.
The senate committee, led by its chairman, Senator Igwe Paulinus Nwagu, arrived in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Tuesday, where they paid visits to the State Police Command, where they met with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, and later the Government House, Port Harcourt, where they interrogated the Chief of Staff to the governor, Hon. Tony Okocha.
The committee also visited the State College of Arts and Science, located along Rumuola-Rumuokwuta Road, in Port Harcourt, and the premises of a new generation church located within the vicinity, where most people, who were caught in the alleged shooting, ran to for safety.
Speaking at the Police headquarters, the committee chairman, Nwagu said the committee was not in the state to witch-hunt anyone, but on a fact-finding mission, so as to let Nigerians know what really transpired during the botched political rally.
Answering questions from members of the Senate committee, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, insisted that the Police neither used live nor rubber bullets on the day of the incident, saying that the Nigeria Police did not have rubber bullets.
The commissioner, who said rubber bullets were only used when repelling robbery attacks, said the police only used tear-gas canisters to disperse the crowd, while acting on the directives of the Inspector-General of Police.
But, in his response to questions by members of the Senate committee, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Tony Okocha, said Abe fell on the ground after the police shot him on the chest and leg, at a close range, resulting in his admission into the hospital.
Source: Leadership
