The Rivers State Police Command wants Governor Nyesom Wike to turn in the former acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission’s Interin Management Committee, Dr. Joi Nunieh.
Ms Nunieh’s home was on Thursday surrounded by police officers in Rivers State, after which Mr Wike went, rescued her and took her to Government House, Port Harcourt.
Drama ensued as a High Court in Port Harcourt on Friday restrained the police or any other law enforcement agents from arresting Nunieh based on an exparte motion brought before it.
“Nobody says he shouldn’t protect his citizens, but everything should be done within the confines of the law,” Rivers State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan told TVC News Friday.
“If you rescue your citizen, we expect you to turn her over to the police, who are in a better position to protect her,” he added.
In a separate interview with AriseTV, the police chief said although no prior notification was sent to Ms Nunieh, a “strong petition” was written against her and it required a “strong action.”
In the light of this, he said the Inspector-General of Police monitoring unit from Abuja came on a “legitimate duty” to invite her, “but unfortunately, she refused to honour the invitation.”
“We came peacefully to invite her, but she resisted the invitation,” Mr Mukan told AriseTV on Friday.
Footage shown by the medium showed how police officers forcefully broke into Ms Nunieh’s house, but Mr Mukan said this was ‘doctored’.
“You cannot protect a criminal,” he said, referring to Governor Wike before his interviewer asked him if she has been convicted.
To that, he said “she is under suspicion. An investigation will show whether she is culpable or not but when investigation is being obstructed, how do we come with a conclusive investigation?”
Ms Nunieh and Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta are pitched against one another over allegations of corrupt practices in NDDC.
Akpabio has denied Nunieh’s claims that he sexually harassed her and he attempted to administer an oath to her.
However, Nunieh may be wanted in connection with her allegation based on her interview granted Channels TV that the serving Minister of Niger Affairs was involved in negotiations with some militants to bomb the oil pipeline in the Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, the High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has restrained the Nigeria Police Force or any other law enforcement agency from arresting a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh.
On Friday, Nunieh filed for an exparte application praying the court to bar the police from making a further attempt to arrest her.
Justice E. Thompson granted the application brought to the court by her lawyer, Slyvester Adaka.
The court restrained the NDDC or any other body from arresting Nunieh, pending the hearing and determination of the matter before it.
Nunieh has confirmed to journalists that she got an injunction from the High Court in Rivers State.
