Wike to APC: Don't politicise murder cases

Rivers State Gover­nor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has described as worrisome the deliber­ate ploy to politicise the ju­diciary for the purpose of hearing a bail application of a chieftain of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) who was charged for murder during the March 19, 2016 rerun elections in the state.

The governor reiterated his confidence in the judi­ciary to live above political games being played by the agents of APC. Speaking at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Monday during the submission of re­port by the Justice Monima Danagogo Judicial Com­mission of Inquiry into the killings and other violent re­lated- matters that occurred during the March 19, 2016 rerun elections in the state, Gov Wike decried the set­ting up of a special panel by the Court of Appeal basi­cally to consider an appeal of an APC chieftain standing trial for murder.

The governor stated that he was shocked to read in the National Newspapers about the unprecedented ac­tion by the Court of Appeal, pointing out that the action is detrimental to the rule of law and the maintenance of law and order in the state.

He regretted that the APC through her agents have politicised crimes. He noted that the immediate past Commissioner of Po­lice in the state was queried and transferred because he charged the notorious APC chieftain to court for murder.

“I just read in the papers today that they have set up a special panel to hear bail application for a murder case. “We have had crimi­nal matters in court for years but for a murder case now, Rivers State has become a state where crime is com­mitted and its being politi­cised. “See how politics has entered into crime. Where you belong to matters. If you belong to a particular po­litical party, a special panel will be set up for you. They believe that the person in­volved is an APC member from a local government where a rerun will take place.”