NDDC: Joy Nunieh Explodes, Says ‘Nigerians Will Hear More When I Appear Before Reps C’ttee’

The former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joy Nunieh, has narrated the occurrence at her Port Harcourt residence on Thursday where she escaped ‘unlawful’ arrest by some heavily armed policemen.

Nunieh said it took the intervention of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to stop the armed men who made efforts to break down the security door to her residence in a bid to arrest her.

The former NDDC chief revealed that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police was allegedly not aware of the attack on her residence by the armed policemen.

Nunieh, who had levelled allegations of corruption and sexual harassment against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, also threatened to expose more shady dealings in the NDDC, adding that “Akpabio cannot kill me”

She said, “He (Akpabio) wanted to stop me from giving my submission today. He succeeded but I think the House of Representatives will give me another day and Nigerians will hear more. I had stopped talking and just wanted to make my submission and go away, but with this hmm! hmm. And they say wise men who refuse to do anything suffer the rule of idiots.”

Narrating what transpired at her residence on Thursday, she said: “Early this morning at about 4 a.m I heard some people were around my gate. I made some calls and tried to reach the governor…because he had told me that if I saw any strange movement I should alert him.

“I tried to reach him but the phones were off, so I called some people who said they might not be real policemen so I should stay (indoors).

“They (the policemen) said they came to take me away and I asked them for what? Do they have a warrant of arrest but they said no warrant of arrest, so I left them.

“At about six 6 a.m. they broke the gate. Later Senator Magnus Abe called me that he had reached the Commissioner of Police who said he didn’t know anything about it.

“So the CP called me, I gave him my address and he later came. They (the policemen) had told me that the CP was downstairs but he wasn’t there, I think it was the deputy commissioner of police. So I opened the door, they wanted to grab me but I pushed back the door and locked it and went back upstairs.

“They tried to break my back door… It is a security door so they kept hitting it for over one hour and couldn’t get access. So my governor later came, asked them for the warrant of arrest and why couldn’t they invite me to the police, that I could have come instead of going to take a woman like a criminal. So the governor took me in his car and here I am refugeeing (sic) in the government house.”

Nunieh said she was scheduled to appear before the House of Representatives committee investigating alleged corruption in the NDDC on Thursday.

“I was supposed to be going today to Abuja to make my submission before the House of Representatives committee. I am sure it (the police siege) is about that. Meanwhile, the man that harassed me is at home, the man who stole the money is at home, the man who stole government files is at home, the man who took money is at home and the man said I should go and take an oath is at home. It is a criminal offence. It is life imprisonment to take an oath or to even offer me an oath.”

Asked if she felt safe after making the series of allegations against Akpabio and the NDDC management, she responded: “Akpabio Can’t Kill me…definitely he can’t. I’m not from Uyo, so he can’t kill me. And why do people think he has the monopoly of violence?”