12th August, 2019
Governor Nyesom Wike lied about the arrest of River’s most wanted criminal, Bobrisky. Contrary to the statement credited to the governor, Nigerian Army has denied reports that its soldiers arrested the notorious cult leader in Gokana local government area.
It means the governor’s N30million bounty is still available as the gang leader is on the loose.
Wike while addressing leaders of Rumuolumeni community at the Government House last Friday, announced that soldiers had arrested Bobrisky.
But in an interview with LEADERSHIP newspaper in Port Harcourt, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, said soldiers did not arrest the suspected cult leader or any other cultist in Gokana local government area.
Iliyasu said: “We don’t know what they are talking about. If such thing has happened, I would have been the first to inform you.
“When we got Don Wanny, I sent you pictures and the statement as early as 4:00am in the morning, because I couldn’t get all of you to come and take pictures yourself”.
“When we got Mene, I sent the statement and pictures to you even before you started calling me. But, the issue of Bobrisky, we don’t know anything about it”.
“If the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army was involved, I wouldn’t have waited for you to call before passing the information to you.”
Last Thursday, Wike while handing over vehicles to security agencies placed a N30 million bounty on Bobrisky.
He later announced that the suspected cultist had been arrested by soldiers less than 24 hours after his promise to reward anyone with information that could lead to his arrest.
“The Army has captured Bobrisky of Gokana. I will pay the bounty that I promised to the Nigerian Army. Anyone who generates insecurity in Rivers State, I am ready to pay any amount to ensure the arrest of that person.”
But in a telephone interview with P.M. NEWS on Monday, Iliyasu challenged Wike to parade the arrested Bobrisky:”We are always elated whenever we arrest or kill high profile criminals and we are quick to inform the press so that the immediate members of the society that he has been terrorising will heave a sigh of relief. That has been our practice.
“The Bobrisky’s case cannot be different. I don’t need to wait for you to call me before I release the information.
“The Governor who is the Chief Security Officer of Rivers State has more sources of than I do. But it is four days after the announcement of his arrest.The alleged criminal should be paraded.
“I don’t have such information and nobody like that was arrested by the Army to the best of my knowledge”.
Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to Governor Nyesom Wike on Electronic Media,who signed the press release on the ‘arrest’ of Bobrisky did not respond to PMNEWS phone calls.
Army’s denial raises pertinent question about the credibility of Governor Wike.
*Additional report by Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt