Rivers: Police Invites Tonye Cole For Questioning As PDP Protester Dies In Hospital

The Rivers State Police Command has on Tuesday invited the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Cole, for questioning over the death of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporter.

Naija News reports that the PDP supporter was shot on Monday during a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) along Aba Road on Monday while demanding a joint inspection of documents used for the March 18 governorship election but the protest turned violent.

Cole, accompanied by the state APC Chairman, Emeka Beke, and few other party leaders, arrived the GRA junction area of Aba Road on Monday to proceed to the INEC office to keep a date with the promise by the commission for them to inspect the Certified True Copy documents to enable the party proceed to the tribunal.

However, when the protesters heard that Cole was nearby, they ran to where he was located and pelted him with pure water sachets and stones; but for his security details who shielded him, he could have been mobbed.

This subsequently led to a clash between Cole’s security men and the rampaging youths, resulting in indiscriminate gunshots by security operatives to disperse the crowd.

The injured PDP supporter bled profusely on his left leg and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

However, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Sydney Gbara told Punch that the injured man later died in the hospital.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that a formal letter inviting Cole was sent to the state secretariat of the APC.

The State APC Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, who confirmed that Cole was invited for questioning, questioned why the police had failed to invite the PDP leaders named in the attack on its governorship candidate, Cole.

“It is shocking that the police are inviting our candidate, Cole, for questioning over a said killing. What is the identity of the person killed? ()

“They attacked and chased us away. They are now inviting him (Cole) for questioning. How? Does it add up?” he queried.