VIDEO: Thugs flog Rivers council administrator with cutlass, force to sign resignation letter

Thugs have assaulted the Sole Administrator of Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, Goodluck Iheamnacho.

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In the viral video posted on Facebook, some of the thugs could be seen flogging the administrator with cutlasses.

Another man could be seen in the video, lying next to the administrator, raising his hands and begging the thugs.

“Sign immediately, sign your signature,” one of the thugs shouted in the video, ordering Mr Iheamnacho to append his signature on what appeared to be a prepared resignation letter.

“Confirm his signature,” he added.

The council administrator could be seen being flogged several times with a cutlass before his hands were tied with a rope.

In the video, which appeared to have been shot at the council office, the administrator is surrounded by the thugs.

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Resignation letter

The resignation letter is dated 20 June and addressed to the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.

The letter stated that Mr Iheamnacho’s desire to “return to the private sector” informed his decision to resign.

“I humbly write to your noble office to convey to you my resignation as the administrator of Ahoada East L.G.A,” the letter reads, thanking people for their support.

“My sincere gratitude goes to the government of Rivers state and the good people of Ahoada East for finding me worthy to serve as administrator from 11 April to 20 July,” it added, indicating an error when the letter, which is dated 20 June.

A copy of the letter was posted on Facebook.

The administrator has only served a little over two months in office since his appointment by Mr Ibas on 11 April.

Mr Iheamnacho is one of the 23 council administrators appointed by Mr Ibas following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule in Rivers.

Mr Tinubu had suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and lawmakers in the state for an initial period of six months after declaring emergency rule in the oil-rich state.

He appointed Mr Ibas, a retired chief of naval staff, as sole administrator for the state.

Mr Ibas, days after assuming office, dissolved boards and commissions constituted by the suspended governor and appointed administrators for the 23 council areas in the state.

Police invite attackers for questioning

The police, in a statement posted on Facebook on Sunday, said over 30 “hoodlums” were involved in the attack, which occurred on Friday at the council secretariat.

The police spokesperson in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the attackers were led by Hector Ekakita, the chief security officer and the chief of staff to the sole administrator.

“During the attack, the hoodlums assaulted the Sole Administrator, stole his mobile phones, forced him to sign a letter purporting his resignation, carted away vital documents, including official and personal documents from his office.

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The administrator, the police said, is in stable condition and is undergoing medical treatment due to the injuries sustained during the violent attack.

Mrs Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, described the assault as a “reprehensible act” and said the police have taken swift action on it.

“The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, after visiting the scene of the attack with heads of other sister security agencies in the state, has directed Mr Ekakita and all those involved in this action to report at the police headquarters for questioning,” she said.