The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered his officers deployed to Rivers State to continue mounting barricades on the entrance to the local government secretariats in the state.
The IGP explained that his officers would not vacate those aforementioned places until the court finishes its ruling on certain issues that had been causing rancor among political gladiators in the state.
He disclosed this in an interview with journalists at Force Headquarters, Abuja, on the sidelines of a meeting with the Assistant Inspectors General of Police, police commissioners, and other top police officers.
Egbetokun told newsmen that the presence of the police officers was very paramount in order to forestall further breakdown of law and order while ensuring peace and protecting Rivers people from intimidation.
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The police boss said the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force was basically on the need for preemptive measures to forestall further escalation of violence that arose from the tenure elongation of LG chairmen.
“You are all aware that in what happened two-three days ago, we lost a police inspector. We are sad about that. We don’t want to lose more men. We don’t want to lose more Nigerians. And that’s why we have our men taking over the secretariat while we await the outcome of the case in court. As soon as the court makes its pronouncement, we will remove the barricade,” he said.
In a related development, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission says it has commenced the process to conduct local government elections.
This is contained in a public notice signed by the Chairman/Chief Electoral Commissioner of RSIEC, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (rtd), and sent to newsmen on Wednesday night.
This comes barely 24 hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara swore in caretaker committee chairmen following the exit of local government chairmen who are loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister.
During the swearing-in, Fubara said their tenure would not be long because the local government election would soon be held. He had also told the chairmen to operate from anywhere if their secretariats remained under lockdown.
Enebeli, in the notice, called on all political parties and stakeholders to attend a meeting fixed for July 1, where the commission would unveil the timetable and guidelines for the 2024 local government elections in the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has insisted that, contrary to the position of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the state is not under siege.
“Our state is free and peaceful. If at all there is any problem in any part of the state, I know quite well that Nigerians know where the problem is coming from, not from us,” he clarified.
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