Four men recently cleared of involvement in the Rivers State House of Assembly fire have accused influential political figures of mounting a campaign to force them into implicating Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff, to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The individuals Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini were freed in November 2024 after being held for roughly six months at Kuje Correctional Facility, following their arrest and prosecution over the October 2023 arson attack.
At a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, three of the men came forward to recount what they described as a new wave of political manipulation.
According to their account, a prominent PDP stakeholder in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area recently contacted them, urging them to revise their testimonies and accuse Ehie of masterminding the attack on the Assembly.
They claim this pressure forms part of a broader political agenda aimed at lending credibility to previous claims made by ex-Head of Service George Nwaeke during a press event in Abuja.
The group further alleged that they were also asked to link Ehie to other serious crimes, including the killing of Ahoada DPO Bako Angbashim and an alleged attempt to assassinate the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.
Detailing their arrests, the men said their ordeal began in December 2023 under questionable circumstances.
Oladele was first apprehended on December 5, followed by Chime and MacPherson on December 16, and Kenneth on January 5.
They were allegedly taken blindfolded to a Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) detention site in Port Harcourt, where they claim they were denied legal counsel, tortured, and compelled to sign confessions under duress.
One account revealed that a serving legislator and a security officer visited them in detention, demanding they frame Ehie.
Refusal, they said, was met with physical abuse and starvation.
They also accused a former local government chairman of offering financial and relocation incentives, including ₦200 million and the promise of asylum abroad, in exchange for cooperation.
Similar overtures were reportedly made during their subsequent transfer to Abuja.
In one instance, they claimed another detainee was promised release if he falsely identified Kenneth Kpasa as an arsonist.
Their trial eventually collapsed at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, where the charges were dropped in November 2024.
Now speaking out, the men say they hope their story highlights the dangers of political interference in the justice system and calls attention to others who may be enduring similar treatment in silence.
They appealed to the media, human rights groups, and Nigerians at large to resist the politicization of law enforcement.