Tinubu visits Senator Abe in London hospital

THE PUNCH – The National Leader, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday visited the senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the Senate, Magnus Abe, at the Bridge Hospital in London.

Abe was allegedly shot by men of the Nigerian police in Port Harcourt on Sunday with a rubber bullet during a political rally.

This was contained in a statement signed by one of Tinubu’s aides, Mr. Sunday Dare, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, following the attack on their son by the police, leaders of thought from the four local governments that make up Ogoniland have warned that they would begin the process of declaring policemen operating in their area persona non grata.

The leaders, who met in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, cautioned that they would not hesitate to chase away security operatives in Ogoniland should the incident that led to the hospitalisation of Abe, repeat itself.

Justice Peter Akere, who read a communiqué signed by him as the Chairman of Ogoni Leaders of Thought and two others, called for the immediate investigation into the “near assassination” of their son.

Akere recalled that the people of Ogoni lost their first generation of leaders in a similar fashion, adding that they (Ogoni) would not tolerate any form of violence that would lead to the death of any Ogoni man.

“The entire Ogoni nationality condemns in very strong terms the assassination attempt on the life of our son, Senator Magnus Abe.

“This event provokes a bitter reminder of the events of our recent past that led to the killing of our first generation leaders by the Nigerian State. Ogoni people will not stand by and watch a repeat of such dastardly actions that threatens the life of an Ogoni person.

“We remind the Nigerian nation and indeed the world that the occupation of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by a Niger Deltan is the product of the Ogoni struggle and blood for which we have not benefitted, not even the implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoni land,” Akere said.