Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State has stormed the premises of Caverton helicopter company in Port Harcourt, demanding why it still flying in passengers.
The governor had, on March 26, announced the closure of all its borders to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
But he expressed disgust that the company had allegedly continued to flout the order.
He, alongside security operatives, thus demanded from the management their operational template just as he demanded the list of those it has been flying into Rivers.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two pilots of the company.
The state Police Commissioner, Mustapha Dandaura, who confirmed the arrest of the pilots, saying his men had been monitoring the airlines since the March 26 ban.
He said, “To our surprise, we received an intelligence report that an aircraft has landed at the Airforce base and that it was carrying some passengers. We have apprehended the pilot and the co-pilot.
“We don’t know the people they brought. Whether they are positive or negative for coronavirus. Where are they heading to and where they came from. To our surprise this morning this aircraft landed without any signal or permission from the authorities. We don’t know their mission here. Maybe they are coming here to sabotage the activities of the state and the security agencies that are putting efforts on ground to ensure that Rivers State enjoy peaceful atmosphere throughout this pandemic period.”
On his part, Wike said he was willing to drop my immunity as a governor as far as this case is concerned .
He said, ” I am ready to be a prosecution witness.
“I want to say this is a serious matter to us and police should handle it seriously. That’s why I am here at the state command to show the seriousness of this issue.
“No body says that you can’t go to any state but now we are in a war situation. This Covid-19 is even worse than a conventional war. We want to know who are those people you brought in, so that we have to trace them to know their identity and status. Luckily we have seen the pilot and the Co-pilot. They will assist the police to assist in identifying them.
“I have always said that we need the support of everybody. Nobody knows the status of those coming into Port Harcourt. Nobody knows whether they are positive or negative. I have said before that I don’t have right to close the airport. But I have the right of saying don’t enter my state because we want to know your status.
“The company wrote to us about bringing people which I forwarded to Commissioner of Police to perform security checks and the health officials to perform their duties before allowing them to come in. That is for those performing essential duties. But they decided to violate the regulations.”
