The Rivers Police Command on Sunday declared two Ahoada-East Local Government officials, Hector Ekakita and Aloni Olodi, wanted for allegedly attacking the council’s sole administrator, Goodluck Iheamnacho.

Messrs Ekakita and Olodi were accused of criminal conspiracy, stealing, assault occasioning harm and attempted murder.

The state police public relations officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement on Sunday, said Mr Iheamnacho was attacked by about 30 hoodlums led by Mr Ekakita, his chief security officer, and Mr Olodi, his chief of staff, at the council secretariat on June 20.

“These individuals, alongside a gang of about thirty persons, are alleged to have conspired to assault the sole administrator, inflicted bodily harm on him, forcefully obtained his signature under duress, stole his mobile phones and vital documents, and carted away both personal and official properties from his office,” Ms Iringe-Koko stated.

Ms Iringe-Koko noted that the administrator has since been receiving medical treatment resulting from sustained injuries during the incident.

She said the police declared Messrs Ekakita and Olodi wanted following their refusal to heed a prior directive inviting them for questioning.

Ms Iringe-Koko warned the public against aiding and hiding the accused persons from evading due prosecution.

“Following their failure to honour police invitation, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, has now declared the aforementioned persons wanted. They are hereby advised, in their own interest, to report to the Police State Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, immediately,” she noted.

Members of the public with credible information on the whereabouts of the suspects were advised to contact the police state headquarters.

Earlier in June, a trending video showed Mr Iheamnacho, the council administrator, rolling on the floor while being caned repeatedly by assailants with uncovered faces.

An off-camera voice in the clip prompted Mr Iheamnacho to sign a letter set before him, while a latter part of the video showed some assailants assaulting another man, suspected of planning to disclose the incident.