Rivers council CSO denies leading hoodlums to attack council administrator

PORT HARCOURT— THE Chief Security Officer, CSO, of Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, Hector Ekeakita, has denied sponsoring and leading hoodlums to assault the sole administrator of the council, Goodluck Iheamnacho.

Speaking on television programme, yesterday, Ekeakita said as the CSO of the local government area, it was impossible for him to lead hoodlums to attack his boss.

On Friday, a letter indicating that Iheamnacho had resigned his position as the sole administrator of Ahoada East local government area made the round online.

The resignation letter, dated June 20, was addressed to Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Rivers sole administrator.
Hours after the resignation letter went viral, a video showing a man resembling Iheamnacho being beaten by some men, began trending.

In an interview with a radio station in Port Harcourt, Iheamnacho asked members of the public to disregard the letter, saying the paper was brought to his office by hoodlums who attacked him.

On Sunday, the Rivers State police command said hoodlums assaulted and forced Iheamnacho to sign a resignation letter.

Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police spokesperson, said Ekeakita and the Chief of Staff (CoS) of the council led 30 hoodlums to Iheamnacho’s office on Friday.

Iringe-Koko said the police have invited Ekeakita and the CoS for questioning.

During the interview, Ekeakita said he was in his office on Friday when he heard noise emanating from the council administrator’s office.

The CSO said when he barged into the administrator’s office, Iheamnacho told him that the matter was between himself and his political appointees.

Ekeakita said he returned to his office afterwards and continued with his daily routine.

He said: “As the CSO of the LGA, why will I do such a thing (attack)? Why would I venture into carrying hoodlums to attack the man I’m working with?

That day, when I heard the noise coming from the administrator’s office, I barged into the office.
“He (Iheamnacho) asked me to shut the door that the matter is between him and his political appointees, who he has not paid since May. I had to go back to my office to continue my daily activities.”

Asked if he took any action, Ekeakita said when the noise from the administrator’s office became unbearable, he put a phone call across to the police but the line was not connecting.

Asked if he called the police because of the noise and not the attack, Ekeakita insisted that he called the police because the noise from the LGA administrator’s office had become too much.