Egbetokun orders withdrawal of policemen from Rivers LG secretariats
Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Police have withdrawn its operatives from the 23 Local Government Area (LGA) Secretariats of Rivers State following election and swearing-in of new council chairpersons by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun had ordered deployment of police personnel to the council secretariats following the crisis that followed the expiration of the tenure of former local government chairpersons in the state and appointment of caretaker committees for the councils by Governor Fubara.
But in a statement early Monday, Rivers Police Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, acting on the orders of Egbetokun, directed the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously assigned to seal and safeguard the council secretariats.
“In light of recent political developments, CP Bala Mustapha reiterated the IGP’s directive for the withdrawal of police personnel from the Local Government Secretariats as part of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to uphold neutrality and ensure the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.
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“The IGP has stipulated that the police will only return to these locations if there is a crisis or breakdown of law and order, at which point emergency measures will be enacted swiftly to restore normalcy.
“The Rivers State Police Command reassures the public of its commitment to maintaining peace and order throughout the state. Residents and stakeholders are urged to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation develops”, the statement added.
Fubara had sworn in the 23 newly elected local government chairmen at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday.
This followed conduct of the local government election by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) on Saturday.
