In a shocking revelation, several suspects involved in the 2023 bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly have alleged that they were offered N200 million to falsely implicate Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The suspects, who were exonerated by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, recounted the traumatic ordeal they endured during their detention.
Chime Ezebalike, one of the acquitted suspects, said, “Starting from December 2023, we were subjected to arrest, intimidation, physical assault, and psychological torture. We were offered bribes, including a fully-paid trip to Ghana, in exchange for implicating Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie.”
The suspects were arrested under false pretenses and transported to the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) in Port Harcourt, where they were pressured to make false confessions. Ezebalike continued, “We were denied access to legal representation, and when we refused to cooperate, they resorted to beatings and starvation.”
Despite enduring months of abuse, including forced transfers and further torture, the suspects remained steadfast. “We rejected all offers,” Ezebalike affirmed.
In an even more troubling development, the exonerated suspects have claimed that there are fresh attempts by certain figures within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to frame Ehie once again.
Meanwhile, Chisom Gbali, the suspended Commissioner for Youth Development in Rivers State, has denied reports of planned protests in Port Harcourt. Gbali, who oversees youth bodies in the state, stated, “There is no protest in Rivers State. I am fully aware of any such activities, and there is no unrest.”
Gbali also criticized the actions of the sole administrator, calling the presentation of the new 2025 appropriation bill “illegal and unconstitutional.” He added, “The people of Rivers have chosen unity and hope over fear and conflict, and the state continues to operate smoothly under Governor Fubara’s leadership.”