The Rivers State government has slammed the Nigeria Police over alleged lopsided service in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities of protecting lives and property in the state.

The state government was reacting to the clash that occurred between the supporters of Martins Amaewhule, factional speaker of the state House of Assembly and that of the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara at the health centre on Wednesday.

The state Commissioner for Information, Joseph Johnson, alleged that it was unheard of for security personnel whose responsibility is to protect the lives of the citizens to rather do things that would endanger them.

The Commissioner also alleged that police went to one of the health facilities at Eliozu in Obio/Akpor local government area of the state and opened fire at some canisters of teargas thereby causing panic.

“The only action I condemn in all that happened on Wednesday is that the Nigeria police went to one of the medical centres and detonated canisters of teargas.

“The Nigerian police are still locking down the 23 local government councils. The Amaewhule people detonated dynamite last time close to the Presidential Hotel, police said they were investigating and nothing has come out of it till today.

“In October last year, the life of the state Governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara was threatened when he went to observe the extent of damage done to the Assembly complex when it was gutted by fire. Up till now, police have not arrested anybody.

“Police are against the Rivers State government. Amaewhule and Co had boasted that the police were on their side. I can begin to see that the boast is now beginning to show. For somebody to throw teargas into a health centre where you have people with different health conditions, pregnant women and babies and the police have not arrested anybody, tells a lot,” he said.

Fubara vs Amaewhule: Rivers govt blasts police for taking sides