Four individuals previously detained over the fire incident at the Rivers State House of Assembly have come forward with fresh claims, alleging attempts to coerce them into falsely implicating Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The former detainees—Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini—were acquitted in November 2024 after spending over six months at the Kuje Correctional Facility.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Monday, Ezebalike revealed that a prominent PDP figure in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area had recently reached out, urging them to change their statements to frame Ehie as the mastermind behind the Assembly fire.
Three of the four former suspects appeared on camera during the briefing, claiming that the pressure was part of a broader political agenda, allegedly tied to a narrative pushed by former Head of Service, George Nwaeke, during a separate press conference in Abuja.
“We were told to rewrite our statements and name Edison Ehie as the one who orchestrated the Assembly fire. After all we’ve endured, we refuse to be used in any political conspiracy,” Ezebalike said.
The group also alleged that beyond the Assembly arson, they were being pressured to link Ehie to the murder of DPO Bako Angbashim in Ahoada and an alleged assassination attempt on Speaker Martins Amaewhule.
Detailing their ordeal, they recounted a harrowing sequence of arrests and detentions between December 2023 and January 2024. Oladele was arrested on December 5, Chime and MacPherson on December 16, and Kenneth on January 5. All were allegedly blindfolded and held at the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) facility in Port Harcourt.
There, they claimed they were tortured, denied legal representation, and coerced into signing false confessions. They further alleged that a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly visited them alongside a police officer, demanding they implicate Ehie. When they refused, they said they were subjected to beatings and starvation.
The former detainees also accused a former local government chairman of attempting to bribe them with ₦200 million and promises of overseas relocation in exchange for their cooperation. Similar offers were reportedly repeated during their transfer to Abuja.
In one instance, they claimed a fellow detainee was promised freedom if he falsely identified Kenneth Kpasa as an arsonist.
Following the transfer of their case to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, all charges were dropped in November 2024. Now free, the group says they feel compelled to speak out, not just for themselves, but for others who may be suffering similar injustice.
“This country belongs to all of us,” they said. “No one should be tortured or forced to lie for political convenience. We urge civil society, the media, and all Nigerians who value justice to rise and speak against the misuse of state institutions against innocent citizens.”
