We’re Not Responsible For Dagogo’s Absence In Court, Says Police

The Rivers State Police Command has debunked claims that it was responsible for the non-appearance of a Peoples Democratic Party governorship aspirant, Farah Dagogo, in court during the last two scheduled hearings.

This was just as the police said the health of the lawmaker representing Degema-Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives was deteriorating, according to a letter from his physician.

The acting spokesperson of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Port-Harcourt on Wednesday.

The statement read, “The attention of the Rivers State Police Command has been drawn to the reports on social and even the electronic/print media that the command refused to take Farah Dagogo to court.

“It has become necessary to put the record straight as even the legal team to the lawmaker who are pleading behind the camera that their client is not well enough to appear in court, have joined those insinuating that the police refused to take their client to court.

“It could be recalled that when Farah Dagogo was arraigned on April 29, 2022, the matter was adjourned to May 9, 2022. However, on May4, 2022, the lawmaker complained of abdominal pains.

“He was initially treated at the Police Clinic where abdominal scan report indicated acute peptic ulcer. At the request of his personal physician, Dr. Kenneth Wariboko, he was referred to Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port-Harcourt.

“On May 9, 2022, the adjournment date, Farah Dagogo claimed he was not strong enough to go to court, even though Dr. Kenneth wrote in a letter dated May 6, 2022, that ‘all investigations done at RSUTH are of normal values, yet the patient is not improving as expected.’

“However, to avoid creating a scene, we restrained ourselves from forcing him to court.

“The next day, May10, 2022, Babafemi Adegbite, put a call across to the Commissioner of Police, pleading that his client, Farah Dagogo, should not be taken to court as he claimed he was billed for a head scan.

“It is therefore surprising that the same lawyer and other members of his legal team could tell the press that the police refused to bring their client to the court.”

Recall that Dagogo, a former Niger-Delta agitator and currently a PDP governorship hopeful in the state, was arrested on the orders of Governor Nyesom Wike.

He was charged by the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, for alleged conspiracy and cultism.