Effizzie Magazine Political Correspondent
John Umeh
PortHarcourt
Four individuals previously charged for their alleged involvement in the suspected arson at the Rivers State House of Assembly in October 2023 have claimed that they were coerced into changing their original statements to falsely implicate Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara.
The four, named Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini, were acquitted of all charges in November 2024 after spending about six months in Kuje Correctional Facility in Abuja.
At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday, April 7, Ezebalike shared that they were recently contacted by a prominent PDP leader from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, who urged them to alter their testimonies. He stated that this request was part of a larger political scheme in the state, allegedly aimed at supporting statements made by former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, during a press briefing in Abuja.
“We were asked to rewrite our story and falsely accuse Edison Ehie as the mastermind behind the Assembly fire. After everything we’ve endured, we cannot participate in such a deceitful plot,” Ezebalike said. “We refuse to lie after all the trauma we’ve suffered.”
The men claimed they were falsely accused of various crimes, including setting fire to the State Assembly complex, the brutal murder of SP Bako Angbashim, a DPO in Ahoada, and an alleged assassination attempt on the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.
They recounted their traumatic six-month experience, which began in December 2023 when they were arrested under questionable circumstances. Oladele was detained on December 5, 2023, followed by Chime and MacPherson on December 16, and Kenneth on January 5. They were allegedly blindfolded, taken to the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) facility in Port Harcourt, tortured, denied legal access, and coerced into signing false confessions.
One particularly disturbing incident involved a serving member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who allegedly visited them with a uniformed officer and pressured them to implicate Ehie. “When we refused, they resorted to beatings and starvation,” they said.
They also accused a former Local Government Chairman of offering them bribes, including N200 million and the possibility of relocation abroad, in exchange for their cooperation.
In one instance, they claimed that another detainee was promised his freedom if he named Kenneth Kpasa as the arsonist.
After over six months in Kuje Correctional Facility, the case was moved to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, where all charges were dropped in November 2024.
Now free, the men have decided to speak out, not just for themselves, but for other innocent citizens who might be suffering in silence.
“This country belongs to all of us. No one should be tortured or forced to lie for political gain. We call on civil society, the media, and all justice-loving Nigerians to stand up and resist the weaponization of state institutions against innocent citizens,” they stated.
