The police in Nigeria say the perpetrators of the Okrika violence of February 17 that disrupted the governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and left a staff of Channels Television injured “will be brought to justice”.
The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in Zone 6, Tunde Ogunsakin, gave the assurance at a hospital in Rivers State where the Channels correspondent, Mr Charles Erukaa, is receiving treatment.
Mr Erukaa was injured by hoodlums after the APC’s rally in Okrika was disrupted by gunmen.
The police AIG told reporters that the police had started investigations into the incident.
“We will carry out a very in depth investigation and you will hear from us. People should have confidence in us. They should have confidence that we will do a good job.
“We will go to the root of this. We will get the culprits and we will bring them to justice,” he said.
Also addressing a press conference on Saturday, the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), expressed worries over the trend of repeated violence in Rivers State.
“It is clear that this harmless reporter was directly attacked for no other reason than being a journalist.
“While we condemn the entire sordid episode in the strongest terms possible, we will like to take exception to situations where journalists are deliberately targeted for harm.
“We are aware that the Inspector General of Police has directed the AIG zone 6 to investigate the matter, with a view to bringing the attackers to book,” the chairman of the NUJ in Rivers State, Opaka Dokubo, said.
The brother of the injured journalist, Justine Erukaa, expressed worries that Nigeria’s politics had degenerated to a level that showed sheer desperation.
“It is just unfortunate that our politics will degenerate to this other situation, where human lives will mean nothing to fellow citizens,” he said.
Sporadic gunshots were heard on Tuesday scuttling the APC governorship rally at the National Secondary School, in Rivers State.
Before the disruption, mr Erukaa had explained that three explosions were heard before the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, arrived the rally venue.