The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate evacuation of police officers who were previously deployed to shut off Rivers State’s 23 local government areas, Cyber Reporters report.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Rivers State Command, issued a statement on Monday conveying the direction. It stated that the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha, was charged with overseeing the departure of all police personnel who had initially been assigned to seal and secure the LGA secretariats.
The instruction comes after political tensions flared following the alleged extension of the terms of former council chairmen close to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
The attempt was challenged by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s selection of the caretaker committee (CTC) chairman, prompting the IGP to seal the secretariats.
This action prohibited local government employees and CTC chairmen from visiting council secretariats and doing regular tasks.
“The newly deployed State Commissioner of Police, Bala Mustapha, conveyed the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the Local Government Secretariats in the state.”
It was also said that personnel would only be redeployed to those locations if there was a crisis or breakdown in law and order, at which case emergency measures would be quickly adopted to restore normalcy.
The Rivers State Command reassured the public of its sustained commitment to ensuring peace and order throughout the state while emphasizing its professionalism in carrying out its duties.
The newly sworn-in 23 council chairmen are due to return to work in their respective LGAs today when they will also swear in newly elected members.
