Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to dethrone traditional rulers whose communities encourage cultism and kidnapping.
Wike, visibly upset with rising insecurity in the state, said on Monday at a ‘special’ security meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, that his administration would fight monarchs in such communities.
“All those local government areas where there are no serious cases of cultism and kidnapping, the state government will give them more projects and attention,” Wike said.
“But local government areas where cultism and kidnapping have become entrenched, the state government will depart.
“For communities where cultism and kidnapping are encouraged, their traditional rulers will be deposed. We will not allow crisis in our communities. If you don’t want to take the war to them, we will take the war to you.”
The governor also warned government officials not to be involved in attempting to release any arrested suspected cultist or kidnapper.
The meeting was attended by local government chairmen, traditional rulers, community development committee chairmen and youth leaders in the state.
Also present were the state’s police commissioner, Usman Belel; State Director of Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi; Commander SOG 115, Nigerian Air Force, E.O. Ebiowei; Commander, NNS Pathfinder, S.J. Bura; and State Commander of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mohammed Haruna.
