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Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili says there are no cases of extra Judicial Killings in the state since the inception of the present democratic dispensation.
Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili says there are no cases of extra Judicial Killings in the state since the inception of the present democratic dispensation.
According to the Governor, "I am happy to state that as a government, with the three arms of government working in synergy for the past six years, there has never been any case of extra judicial killing involving the government in the state".
Governor Odili disclosed this on Tuesday when the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial and Summary Executions, Prof. Philip Alston, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Dr Odili said the State Government believes and respects the Rule of Law and the fundamental Principles of Human Rights, as the state insists on due processes in observance of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He noted that in the past years before the advent of democracy, under the non-democratic government, there may have been cases that could be found in the records, but under the present administration, no such situation exist.
The State Governor, however, remarked that there may be incidents of disputes in one community or another which often culminated in violent crises, and in the process of restoring normalcy the law enforcement agencies may be confronted violently and this could result in deaths.
Dr Odili hinted that the state government was in the process of reversing the corona laws, which has remained in the statute book, stressing that the legal department of governments is in the process of effecting the change to bring about functionality in line with the ideals of civil governance.
He said the state is witnessing a high level of economic activities, as the heart of oil and gas industry and the economic nerve centre of Nigeria, which has led to the influx of a lot of people bringing about 400 per cent population rise in the past five years.
"We must say that whenever you have a high degree of economic activity, you expect that some threats to law and red.
Peace would also be part of the process, because both the good and the bad look for economic well-being", Odili declared.
The State Chief Executive opined that affluence also attracts criminals and those that would want to make their leaving through violent and illegal activities, pointing out the fight against illegal crude oil bunkerers has led to confrontation between the law enforcement agencies and the oil thieves.
He argued that crude oil bunkering involves a chain of actors, including market for the illegal crude which is refined offshore, vessels to transport the crude, and in order to protect the business, they bring in weapons to effect territorial control over the areas where the stealing activities take place.
Dr Odili called for all hands to be on deck to find a holistic solution, as the weapons used in these activities are manufactured abroad and brought in by the criminals.
The Governor stated that Rivers State has maintained a reputation for being the safest state considering the level of economic activities and the influx of new investors and having a record of the fastest growing economic centre in the country.
He reiterated that the law enforcement agencies and the government have done credibly well in ensuring relative security of lives and property which had encouraged more investors and assured the Special UN Rapporteur on Extra Judicial and Summary Execution of the co-operation of the State Government in other areas requiring attention, and prayed for exchange of regular interaction between the government and the Commission.
Earlier, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial and Summary Executions, Prof Philip Alston, said he was in the state on a fact finding mission on issues bordering on extra judicial murder and to report back to the UN .
Prof. Alston said the UN Commission is interested on issues involving illegal executions by the Police, Security Agencies, and by other groups in the State.
Prof. Alston, who is also a Law Lecturer at UK University, said they came to confirm reports of extra Judicial Killing in Rivers State, and to ascertain the number of persons killed if any.