Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has recalled how his father, uncle, himself and siblings were framed up for murder over a chieftaincy tussle while he was studying in the university.
Speaking during the 65th birthday celebration of Emmauel Ukala, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in Port Harcourt, said his father, uncle, brothers, and himself were arrested and detained on a trumped-up murder charge, while he was a student.
He said it took the intervention of Ukala, as their lead counsel, for them to be discharged and acquitted.
He noted that Ukala in whose law firm he worked after leaving the Nigerian Law School, took his family’s ordeal personally and gave his best to ensure that they got justice.
“There was a time that the entire family was charged for murder, every male was taken away. We only had women left in the house with children between the ages of 1 and 5.
“As at that time, I was reading law at then Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University.”
He also said when he declared his intention to contest for the office of the Chairman, Obio-Akpor Local Government in 1998, some politicians in his constituency conspired with the police to frame him up for armed robbery.
He said the same legal luminary intervened and defended him up to the Supreme Court when some interests attempted to prevent him from being sworn into office as chairman.
He said, “Throughout my chairmanship matter in 1998, when we had elections down to April 4, 2000 when the Supreme Court finally decided my matter, he (Ukala) never took a dime, one naira.”
