BEVERLY HILLS, April 02, (THEWILL) – Rivers State’s Governor Nyesom Wike has expressed disappointment that two armoured helicopters worth over $10 million that his government contributed to the Nigerian Air Force to fight crude oil theft and sea piracy in the state were diverted to the North East to fight Boko Haram.
He said: “Rivers State Government paid over $10 million (for the armoured helicopters). We said it should be used to fight oil bunkers here, but ask me where are those helicopters today?
‘’The (Airforce) headquarters have taken them, saying they are fighting Boko Haram. But we bought it to fight criminals here, to fight oil bunkers here, but they have taken it”, he said.
He warned that the state would not hesitate to withdraw the gunboats he was about to present to the Army, Navy and Police if they were deployed for use in other states.
Wike stated this at the presentation of 29 operational vehicles to the police at the re-launching of the Rivers State security outfit codenamed, C.4.I, at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
But Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, said it was a political statement which he would not want to make any comment about.
He said: “There is no way you can join issues with Rivers State Government and the NAF, these are political statements and I don’t want to make any comment about that.
“I will advise that you call our supervisors at the Ministry of Defence, they will be in a better place.”
The Governor in a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, explained that his administration had demonstrated its resolve to rid the state of criminality through the provision of operational vehicles, gunboats and other forms of support for the security agencies.
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