The Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has directed security agencies to clamp down on cultists, militant support groups and other miscreants being used by politicians to disturb the peace, safety and security of the state.
The governor gave the directive in a state broadcast in Port Harcourt on Monday following what he described as the rising cases of cultism and related activities across the state.
He therefore urged anyone with useful information about the camps, gatherings, plans and activities of criminals and their sponsors to forward it to the security agencies for action.
“We also denounce the rising cases of cultism in the state during this electioneering period, which are sponsored by politicians to settle political scores.
“Apart from committing heinous crimes, cultists masking as party support groups and thugs are used by rival party leaders to assault opponents and disrupt party meetings, especially in those political parties with protracted internal crises arising from their flawed primaries.
“We are also aware that desperate politicians are recruiting and arming cultists and other miscreants to be used to attack and intimidate voters during the polls.
“Consequently, I have directed the security agencies to raid any suspected area or premises and clamp down on cultists, militant support groups and other miscreants being used by politicians to disturb the peace, safety and security of the state.”
The governor stressed that no amount of syndicated misinformation, campaigns of calumny, and diatribes by a section of the media and the political elites would deter the state government from enforcing the laws of the state against those who vainly claim to be above them.
He called on leaders of political parties to obey the laws regulating election campaigns to instil sanity and safeguard the public interest.
