Four individuals previously detained over the Rivers State House of Assembly fire have come forward with explosive claims, alleging they are being coerced into framing Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to the suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini, acquitted in November 2024 after spending roughly six months in Kuje Correctional Facility, made the revelations during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Ezebalike, speaking for the group, alleged that a prominent PDP leader from Obio/Akpor Local Government Area recently approached them, urging them to rewrite their statements and pin the Assembly fire on Ehie. Three of the four appeared on camera to share their story, linking the pressure to a broader political plot. They claimed it aligns with accusations made by George Nwaeke, a former Head of Service, during a press briefing in Abuja.

“We were told to falsely accuse Edison Ehie of orchestrating the Assembly fire—after all we’ve endured,” Ezebalike stated. “We won’t partake in this sinister scheme, especially not after the trauma we faced.” The group alleged the conspiracy extends beyond the fire, implicating Ehie in the brutal murder of Bako Angbashim, a DPO in Ahoada, and an alleged assassination attempt on Speaker Martins Amaewhule.

Their ordeal began in late 2023: Oladele was arrested on December 5, Chime and MacPherson on December 16, and Kenneth on January 5, 2024. They described being blindfolded, taken to the Federal Intelligence Response Team (F-IRT) facility in Port Harcourt, and subjected to torture, starvation, and denied legal counsel. They were allegedly forced to sign fabricated confessions under duress.

The acquitted men recounted a chilling encounter with a serving Rivers State House of Assembly member, accompanied by a uniformed officer, who demanded they implicate Ehie. “When we refused, the beatings and starvation intensified,” they said. They also accused a former Local Government Chairman of offering ₦200 million and overseas relocation as bribes—offers allegedly repeated during their detention in Abuja, where some were forcibly transferred.

In one instance, they claimed another detainee was promised freedom to falsely identify Kenneth Kpasa as the arsonist. After six grueling months, their case moved to the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, where all charges were dropped in November 2024.

Now free, the four are determined to expose what they endured, not just for themselves but for others silently suffering similar injustices. “This country belongs to all of us,” they declared. “No one should be tortured or coerced into lying for political gain. We urge civil society, the media, and all Nigerians who value justice to stand against the misuse of state power on innocent citizens.”