By Sunday Stephen

Tension erupted in parts of Rivers State on Friday after armed men suspected to be political thugs attacked the convoy of former governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, shortly after suspected arsonists burned down a ward office of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in his hometown.
The attack occurred along the Ubima–Omuanwa road in Ikwerre Local Government Area as Amaechi travelled to his community to complete his electronic registration as a member of the party.
Sources said the assailants, believed to be hired thugs, had earlier mounted a roadblock ahead of the former minister’s arrival around 12:15 p.m., turning back buses suspected to be conveying ADC supporters to the event.
Tension had already escalated the previous night when the ADC ward office in Ubima, Amaechi’s country home, was set ablaze by unidentified attackers.
Witnesses said the assailants stormed the community amid heavy gunfire, shooting sporadically and riddling the gate of Amaechi’s family residence with bullets in what appeared to be a calculated attempt to disrupt the politician’s visit.
Trouble intensified when Amaechi’s convoy attempted to enter the community. The armed men reportedly blocked the road and confronted the convoy, triggering a brief but fierce gun duel with security operatives attached to the former governor.
However, the security personnel quickly gained the upper hand. Overpowered by superior firepower, the attackers fled into nearby bushes, allowing Amaechi and his entourage to proceed safely.
Addressing hundreds of supporters who gathered for the e-registration exercise afterward, Amaechi urged calm and warned against retaliation.
“I will thank the Commissioner of Police and the Director of DSS. They showed a lot of professionalism immediately I made contact with them,” he said.
“In fact, I wasn’t expecting that kind of cooperation. I thought they would be behind these criminals and not render support. But all of us will agree that the police came out, the NSCDC came out, and the DSS came out. So we are grateful to them.”
Amaechi, who later inspected the burnt party office, insisted that security agencies must go further by arresting and prosecuting those responsible for the attacks.
“But they must also know that this cannot continue. The way they will show us that this cannot continue is that they must prosecute those involved in this crime,” he said.
The former governor also urged the Rivers State government to strengthen security across the state to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
“I have been a governor, and I know the consequences of not protecting the lives of people,” he warned.
“The people will begin to protect their lives themselves because they don’t want to die.”
Despite the violence, Amaechi urged ADC members to remain peaceful and stay focused on political mobilisation ahead of future elections.
“Our role is to be calm and peaceful. We are marching to Aso Rock. What they are doing is a distraction,” he said.
“We are hungry. If you are not hungry, tell them I am hungry. People are dropping dead every day because of hunger. A few people are stealing our money and they say we should keep quiet. We can no longer keep quiet.”
He called on party members in Rivers State to register en masse, saying the party must build a formidable base capable of surprising its opponents at the polls.
“ADC Rivers State, you must register en masse. On election day, they will know whether we will vote or not,” he declared.