Tony John, Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike, yesterday, bulldozed his way to rescue former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh, from a police siege in her Port Harcourt residence.
Riding in his convoy, Wike rushed to Nunieh’s house in the Old GRA section of Port Harcourt, where a team of Mobile Police armed policemen drawn from Squadron 13 had barricaded her house, and ferried her to safety in the Government House.
The siege is coming a few days after Nunieh accused Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, of trying to molest her sexually and other sundry allegations bordering on corruption at the commission.
After Nunieh’s outburst against Akpabio, Wike had declared that the state would defend her, being an indigene of the state.
The security agents reportedly stormed he home, 3, Owuru Creek view, off Herbert Macaulay Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, at about 4am, yesterday apparently to stop her from appearing before a National Assembly panel investigating the alleged misuse of N40 billion NDDC funds.
The embattled former acting MD has declared that Nigerians will hear more revelations about the activities in the commission even as she boasted that Akpabio cannot kill her.
“I was supposed to be going today to Abuja to make my submission before the House of Representatives Committee. I’m sure it’s about that.
“Meanwhile, the man that harassed me is at home. The man who stole the money is at home. The man who stole government funds is at home. The man who took government money is at home. The man who said I should go and take an oath is at home. It is a criminal offence. It is a life imprisonment to take an oath, to even offer me an oath is liable. So, I am here (at Government House). I feel very safe in Government House. I am safe here. Akpabio can’t kill me. Definitely, he can’t. I am not from Uyo. He can’t kill me. And why do people think he has monopoly of violence”?
Nunieh expressed optimism that the House of Representatives Committee on the NDDC would give her another opportunity to appear and make her submissions.
“I think he (Akpabio) wanted to stop me from giving my submissions today. He succeeded, but I am sure the House of Representatives will give me another day and Nigerians will hear more. I had stopped talking. I just wanted to make my submissions and go away,” she stated.