By Asuquo Cletus Felix
The Inspector General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has ordered the immediate beef up of policemen in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital.
This is coming after the Governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara, had alleged that policemen stormed the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC), to cart away election materials and attempted to stop the conduct of Local Government Elections scheduled to hold on Saturday October 5th.
Fubara late Thursday night, had also accused the IGP of forming an alliance and friendship with a Federal Government Minister to truncate the peace of the elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi it described the Governor’s claim as “unfounded allegations leveled against the office of the Inspector-General of Police”.
According to the police Spokesman, a subsisting Federal High Court order had barred the Nigeria Police Force from participating in the Rivers State elections.
The order, Ajejobi disclosed was duly served to both the NPF and the Rivers State Government.
He explained that the commissioner of police in Rivers State, had received reports that policemen from Rivers State Government house had been deployed to the office of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC) to aid the conduct of the election.
“The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent statements made by the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Siminalayi Fubara, in which several unfounded allegations were leveled against the Office of the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force. In light of these claims, it has become necessary to set the record straight.
“Firstly, it is important to clarify that there is a subsisting Federal High Court order barring the Nigeria Police Force from participating in the Rivers State elections.
“This order was duly served on both the NPF and the Rivers State Government. As a law-abiding institution, the IGP instructed the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State to strictly adhere to this court order by refraining from any direct involvement in the election process.
“However, in the evening of 3rd October,2024, The commissioner of police Rivers State, received reports that policemen from Rivers State Government house have been deployed to the office of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC) to aid the conduct of the election.
“This report was also relayed to the Inspector-General of Police who gave clearance to the Commissioner of Police to withdraw the policemen from the Government house and replace with policemen from the Command Operations department.
“The mandate of the men from the Operations Department, was to provide overnight security for the RIEC to prevent any attack on the facility.”-It reads in part.
Adejobi disclosed that prior to this, there had been a series of security breaches in the state following the spate of court orders and counter orders and reactions to them by supporters of the different political parties involved.
He explained that the policemen deployed to RIEC from the operations department of Rivers State Command on the night of 3rd October,2024 were with the sole mandate to protect the RIEC office from attack overnight.
“It is therefore shocking to see the state governor storming the RIEC office at night, wrongly accusing the police on lawful duties, deriding the Police institution and using unprintable words to describe the Inspector-General of Police.
“ The Nigeria Police takes exception to the unwarranted outburst of the Governor and particularly the weighty accusations which he falsely levied against the Inspector-General of Police and the entire Nigeria Police Force and advise caution and decency in the pursuit of individual political goals.
“To this end, the Inspector-General of Police has ordered increased deployment into Rivers State to beef up security throughout the state.”-It reads.
