Four suspects in the Rivers State Assembly fire case allege they are being pressured to falsely accuse Chief of Staff Edison Ehie. Speaking at a press conference, the men detailed offers of bribes and political coercion, highlighting the deepening political rift in Rivers State amid ongoing investigations.
Four individuals arrested over the 2023 fire at the Rivers State House of Assembly have publicly alleged attempts to coerce them into falsely implicating Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
During a press conference on Monday, Chime Ezebalike, speaking on behalf of Kenneth Kpasa, MacPherson Olumini, and Oladele Lukman, said political actors had approached them with financial incentives to alter their testimonies. Ezebalike detailed how a senior figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contacted one of them, offering money in exchange for a statement accusing Ehie of masterminding the arson.
“We have endured enough,” Ezebalike said, recounting the ordeal. "After suffering wrongful arrest and detention, they now want us to falsely accuse someone for political gain.”
Ezebalike described their arrest in December 2023 and their release in January 2024, alleging that bribes were also offered to secure confessions during their detention. He further emphasized that while three of them had known ties to Ehie and another political figure, MacPherson Olumini had merely been arrested because he was nearby during the events.
The suspects' claims come amid ongoing tensions within Rivers State’s political landscape, as factions continue to clash over control of the government following the Assembly fire incident. There has been no immediate response from the PDP regarding the allegations.
