Gbenro Adesina
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State today rescued a former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh from heavily armed policemen, whose intention was to impose house arrest on her.
Nunieh had problem with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, who she alleged to have attempted to sexually harass her as well as using her to perpetuate corruption as the Managing Director of NDDC.
According to the information peddling around, Nunieh was scheduled to continue to testify before the nation’s House of Representatives panel, that is investigating the allegation of mismanagement of N40bn by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.
It was gathered that about 30 policemen arrived at the former NDDC MD’s house located at No. 3 Owuru Creek View, off Herbert Macaulay Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, at around 4 am thereby making it impossible for her to leave for the Port Harcourt International Airport where she would connect a flight to Abuja.
Getting wind of happenings in Nunieh’s residence, Governor Wike swiftly mobilised his security men and stormed the house, displaced the federal policemen and whisked the embattled woman away in line with a promise made that he would not allow anyone to harm Nunieh.
Though, at the time of filing this report, PrimeStarNews cannot authoritatively state the whereabouts of Nunieh, it was gathered that Wike drove her to the River State government house.
Reacting, the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned the police for attempting to restrict the movement of the ex-NDDC boss.
According to him, ” Sending armed policemen to raid Joy Nunieh’s home at 4.00am in the morning, putting her under siege and house arrest and blocking her from leaving her house as she was scheduled to leave for the airport to travel to Abuja and testify before the Senate this morning is cowardly and shameful”.
He said, “Governor Nyesom Wike actually saved her life by arriving on the scene and taking her out safely. Reminds me of the time that my friend and brother Governor Ayo Fayose saved my wife Precious and my son Aragorn’s lives by delivering them from the hands of armed goons in police uniform who had targetted them for arrest and abduction and conducted an illegal operation against them in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state four years ago. They had arrested and detained them illegally in a bank for hours and were about to physicaly drag them outside and into a vehicle, carry them to God knows where and abduct them when Fayose burst in on the scene with his men and forcefully delivered and saved them. What a man!”
“I have been reliably informed that the police raid on Joy’s house at 4.00am was yet another illegal operation and was NOT backed by a search or arrest warrant or authorised by the Commissioner of Police of Rivers state or the Inspector General of Police. It was simply an attempt to abduct her, take her away and possibly kill her and they spend a good deal of the time trying to break the doors of her home down and get in. Wike arrived on the scene, broke the siege, delivered her from the enemy and saved her life. I commend him for this courage. He and Fayose shall forever be men after my heart. To those who sent the policemen to abduct and kill Joy I have only this to say: sexual harassment is one thing but abduction and murder or conspiracy to abduct and murder is quite another. GET SENSE!”, he concluded.
