Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has said he issued an Executive Order to restrict movement into the state to protect the lives of the people of the state. He said the coronavirus pandemic necessitated a government response of an emergency nature.

He made this known while speaking at the office of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Dandaura in Port Harcourt on Tuesday following the arrest of two pilots of Carveton Helicopters who  transported expatriates into the state without prior knowledge of the state authorities.

He said: “I am willing to drop my immunity as a governor as far as this case is concerned. 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.

“Nobody 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  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,” he said.

“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.”

Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mustapha Dandaura confirmed that the Command arrested the pilot and co-pilot of Carveton Helicopters who ferried unknown passengers to the state.

He said: “Recall that when this Coronavirus issue started , there was ban of local flights from coming into the state. Since that time we have been monitoring the activities of these private airlines.

“To our surprise, we received an intelligence report that an aircraft had landed at the Airforce Base and that it was carrying some passengers. We have apprehended the Pilot and the Co-pilot through the NAF commander, that’s why they alerted the  Executive Governor of the state who had given an order that on no account should any aircraft land on Rivers State without clearance.

“We don’t know the people they brought. Whether they are positive or negative of 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 enjoys peaceful atmosphere throughout this pandemic period.”

Governor Nyesom Wike had on March 19, 2020 signed an Executive Order to suspend flights into the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, the Air Force Base and Bonny Airstrip beginning Thursday, March 26, 2020.

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