We Were Forced to Frame Ehie — Rivers Arson Suspects

Four men previously cleared of involvement in the 2024 Rivers State House of Assembly fire have made serious accusations, alleging that they were pressured to alter their testimonies and falsely implicate Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The men—Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini—were detained for approximately six months at the Kuje Correctional Facility before being acquitted in November 2024.

At a press conference held in Port Harcourt on Monday, Ezebalike revealed that a senior figure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area had recently approached them, urging them to change their statements. Three of the four men attended the press briefing to publicly share their account.

The group claims that the pressure to alter their testimonies is part of a larger political maneuver to support the narrative previously presented by George Nwaeke, the former Rivers Head of Service, in an Abuja press briefing.

“We were told to fabricate a story accusing Edison Ehie of masterminding the Assembly fire,” Ezebalike stated. “After everything we’ve gone through, we will not take part in any political witch-hunt.”

Along with falsely connecting Ehie to the fire, the men allege they were also pressured to implicate him in the murder of police officer Bako Angbashim in Ahoada and an alleged assassination attempt on State Assembly Speaker Martins Amaewhule.

The group described their arrests as politically motivated, starting with Oladele’s detention on December 5, 2023, followed by Ezebalike and Olumini on December 16, and Kpasa on January 5, 2024. They were reportedly blindfolded and transported to the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) facility in Port Harcourt, where they claim they were tortured and denied legal representation.

One of the men recounted a particularly troubling incident when a serving lawmaker allegedly visited them in custody, accompanied by a uniformed officer, and pressured them to name Ehie as the mastermind behind the fire. When they refused, they said they were subjected to physical abuse and deprivation of food.

The group also accused a former local government chairman of offering them ₦200 million and promises of relocation abroad in exchange for their cooperation. Some of these offers were allegedly reiterated during their detention in Abuja, where some of them were moved without explanation.

In one instance, the men claim another detainee was promised release if he falsely identified Kenneth Kpasa as one of the arsonists.

The charges against the men were eventually dismissed by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in November 2024.

Now that they have regained their freedom, the men say they are speaking out not only for themselves but also for others who may be enduring similar mistreatment.

“This country belongs to all of us. No one should be tortured or coerced into lying for political gain,” they declared. “We urge civil society, the media, and every Nigerian who values justice to resist the abuse of state power against innocent citizens.”
.