Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate departure of police officers from the secretariats of Rivers State‘s 23 local government areas.
The officers had been assigned to “seal and safeguard” the LG secretariats.
Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers police spokesperson, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday.
The statement reads:
“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.”
The secretariats were shut in June due to a feud between caretaker committee chairpersons loyal to Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara and chairpersons loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
Iringe-Koko stated that the instruction “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions”.
“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the Local Government Secretariat, which were earlier secured by police personnel,” she added.
“The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.
“The Rivers State Police Command assures the public of its readiness to maintain peace and order across the state and will continue to act professionally in discharging its duties.
“We urge all residents and stakeholders to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation continues to evolve.”
This incident occurs just 24 hours after Fubara swore in 23 freshly elected local government chairpersons.
Prior to the poll, Fubara claimed that the IGP was accepting directions from Wike, which the police denied.
Rivers state has been in crisis as a result of the feud between Fubara and Wike over control of the state’s governmental structures.