The Nigerian Police still want to interrogate Dr. Joi Nunieh, the former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
On Thursday, policemen from Abuja made a botched bid to arrest her from her home in Port Harcourt.
She was rescued by Governor Nyesom Wike.
According to reports, the police have now formally asked Wike to allow them take her away.
The Rivers Police Commissioner, Joseph Mukan, made the demand during a meeting with Wike in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Mukan told newsmen later that Nunieh was under investigation over a petition for which she was required to enable the police conclude their probe.
He expressed confidence that Wike would turn her in so as not to be seen as obstructing police investigation.
While acknowledging the Governor was right to have acted to save a citizen from a situation that was not clear to him, he said having known the reason behind the police operation, he should transfer Nunieh to the police.
Explaining the position of the police on what transpired at Nunieh’s residence on Thursday, the Police chief said: “What actually happened was the IGP Monitoring Unit came in from Abuja on a legitimate duty to invite the ex-MD to Abuja but unfortunately she refused to honour the invitation.
“She instead called the governor, who came to whisk her to the Government House.
“It wasn’t a surprise as such. It depends on the urgency of the matter on ground. It is a serious petition, which needs a serious solution. They came peacefully to invite her but she resisted that invitation.
“We expect the Governor to turn her in because the officers were not on illegal duty. He was right to say that he wanted to protect his citizen but now that he realised that the officers were on legitimate duty, then he should turn her over to the police to continue their investigation, which I believe he will do that.
“She is under suspicion and investigation will show whether she is culpable or not.
But when investigation is being obstructed how do you come up with a conclusive investigation?
“We were there to invite her and normal procedures were followed. They introduced themselves to her, explained their mission to her but she did not cooperate with them only for her to call the Governor, who came into her residence. If she had followed them all these drama could not have arisen”.
On Thursday, Ms. Nunieh had said after Gov. Wike rescued her that the State Police Commissioner told her that he was not aware of the police incident in her home.
She narrated that “Senator Magnus Abe called me after a while that the CP in Rivers did not really know about it and that the CP was going to reach me. The CP did reach me and said he was not aware of what was going on.”
The CP asked that I send him my address and which I did and then I saw the cars come in. So, I asked if that was the CP, and they said no. Fortunately, I was just wise enough. I stayed by the door, and they wanted to drag me, so I just banged the door, so they can’t come in.”
