Nunieh leaving her residence with Wike

* “Nobody reached me to confirm if Policemen were real or fake. It is not illegal to arrest without warrant”- CP

*Nunieh secures Court restraining police from arresting her 

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The drama over failed bid arrest Joi Nunieh, the former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, advising Governor Nyesom Wike to release to the former NDDC boss to the Police.

Wike had taken away Nunieh away from the Police sent to arrest her from her residence on Thursday.

It is believed that the the former NDDC has been hiding in Rivers State Government House since the incident.

But Mukan, who spoke for the first time about the Nunieh and Wike rescue saga on Friday, debunked claims by Nunieh and the state government that the police officers who attempted to arrest Nunieh in her house  were  on illegal duty.

Mukan said:” I was very much aware of the planned investigation of the Officers from the Inspector General Police who were here for an investigation. The Officers  were here in my Command and I endorsed their Official documents for the arrest.”

He also dismissed claims that calls were made to him to verify if the the police officers were in Nunieh’s residence for an illegal operation.

He dismissed the insinuation that the Police must produce warrant of arrest at the point of arrest before arrest is effected.

On whether he has reached out to Governor Wike to release Nunieh to the the IGP monitoring team for interrogation,  Mukan answered in the affirmative.

Rivers Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Mukan

Mukan also said he is expecting Governor Nyesom Wike to turn in Nunieh to the police, now that he is aware she is under investigation.

Also, in a by the Rivers Command, the Police dispelled rumours that the policemen who were drafted to the Port Harcourt residence of the former  Acting Managing Director of the NDDC were there illegally.

The Police Command disclosed that the officers were on official assignment from IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja.

According to the statement, the policemen who were chased away by Wike belonged to the IGP Monitoring team.

Nnamdi Omoni, the Rivers Police Public Relations Officer said in the statement, “the reference  indicating that the Officers were there without the directive of the CP nor the IGP is  preposterous and most unfortunate, hence should be discountenanced and disregarded.”

The Police statement further explained, “they went to her residence with Mobile Policemen, suggesting of course that they were there on official duty and not illegal duty as speculated.

“They proceeded to her residence, they observed due protocols and requisite standard operating procedures,including going through the processes of arriving themselves at the Headquarters with their Investigation Activities duly signed and approved by the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph G Mukan.”

However, there are reports that the embattled Nunieh, a lawyer, has secured an injunction from a Federal High Court stopping the Police from arresting her.