IGP had earlier warned Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara to stop levelling “unfounded allegations” against him
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday asked police personnel previously deployed to seal off the headquarters of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State to withdraw with immediate effect.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Command, Grace Iringe-Koko.
According to her, the directive from the IGP follows recent political developments in Rivers State.
“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 statement further emphasized that the decision “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.”
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It also clarified that personnel will only be redeployed to those areas if there was a crisis or breakdown of law and order, at which point emergency measures would be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.
The Rivers State Command assured the public of its continued commitment to maintaining peace and order across the state, while reiterating its professional conduct in carrying out its duties.
Residents and stakeholders were urged to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation unfolds.
Prior to this development, Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara had accused the IGP of trying to create chaos, after the police command in the state kicked against the conduct of Saturday’s local government election.
Reacting to the allegation, Egbetokun noted that the Rivers State’s number one citizen was levelling “unfounded allegations” against him.