The Nigeria Police Force, NPF says it has invited some foreign specialists to analyze the alleged leaked audio of Governor Nyesom Wike’s phone calls during the legislative rerun elections held in Rivers State on Saturday, December 10.
Recall that following the release of the audio, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris had set up a committee to investigate in details the authenticity of the voicing in the audio as widely circulated online.
The police boss said the investigations will be weaved around the call activities of Governor Wike before, during and shortly after the legislative rerun elections.
The IGP explained on Wednesday that the foreign analysts would soon be in the country to assist with the ongoing investigation into the violence that rocked the poll during which two police officers, DSP Mohammed Alkali and his driver, Sgt. Peter Uchi, were beheaded and their heads thrown into a river.
Speaking when the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, paid him a visit at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the IG stated that the experts would offer support in audio analysis of some leaked recordings during the election.
He noted that the two police officers were killed because they answered the call of duty and vowed that the Force would leave no stone unturned to ensure that those indicted for the murder were punished.
In his words: “A panel will be inaugurated tomorrow (today) that consists of specialists and professionals that will look into ending electoral violence in the country.
We are also getting support from CSOs (Civil Society Organisations) from outside the country who feel committed that it is time for Nigeria to have peaceful elections. They are offering support in audio analysis of some audio recordings that have been viral on Facebook and very soon they will be in the country to assist us with some of these audio recordings.
All these are steps taken to ensure that we get to the bottom of this election violence and by the grace of God, Rivers will be the last state that we are going to have this kind of experience, it will never happen again.”
Idris stated that the four suspects arrested in connection with the election violence had given useful information to the police about the murder of the police officers.
He said further: “We lost two of our officers on the day of the election. They were kidnapped, their heads were severed from their bodies and their bodies were buried in shallow graves. The vehicle in which they were kidnapped has been recovered.
We have recovered their bodies, but unfortunately, the information we got from suspects arrested revealed that after severing their heads from their bodies, their heads were thrown into the river.
These people were killed not because of any personal issue but because they answered the call of duty to serve in the election that took place in Rivers and it is very sad that their lives had to end like this.”
The chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the Commission was touched by the death of the gallant officers who lost their lives in active duty to their father land. He however said the Commission will join the Force in the burial arrangements of the fallen officers.
In his words: “We condole with you and the entire Nigeria Police Force over the loss of your gallant officers in the course of the Rivers rerun elections through national service. It is with heavy heart that we wish to condole with you and the family of the DSP and the sergeant that lost their lives in Rivers State.
People often fail to realise that securing the environment for Nigerians comes with great risks and people pay with their lives to protect the environment to enable us to conduct a free and fair election.
We feel diminished each time a member of the security agency loses his life on account of election and I must state that we cannot conduct a successful election without the NPF.”