THE inspector-general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the increased deployment of personnel to beef up security in Rivers State following the controversy on the conduct of the local government election slated for Saturday, October 5.
The IGP also cautioned the Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from making “unfounded allegations” against him and the Nigeria Police Force.
In a statement issued Friday night, October 4, by the Force’s public relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the IGP also clarified several claims by the Rivers State government against the Police.
“Threatening to shed blood and to burn down the state because of a local government election is not acceptable to us. The Nigeria Police Force is committed to the protection of lives and properties and will work with other security agencies in Rivers State to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in the state.
“To this end, the inspector-general of police has ordered increased deployment into Rivers State to beef up security throughout the state. Citizens of Rivers State are advised to go about their lawful businesses.”
He noted that there was a subsisting Federal High Court order barring the NPF from participating in the Rivers State election.
The order was duly served on both the NPF and the Rivers State Government, Egbetokun stated.
He said he instructed the commissioner of police (CP) in Rivers State to strictly adhere to the court order by refraining from any direct involvement in the election process.
However, on the evening of October 3, 2024, the commissioner received reports that policemen from the state Government House were deployed to the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC) to aid the conduct of the election.
Egbetokun said he gave clearance to the CP to withdraw the officers from the Government House and replace them with officers 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 is also important to note 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,” the IGP stressed.
He maintained that he supported the command’s response to secure RSIEC overnight was professional.
He explained further that the deployment of policemen to RSIEC from the operations department of Rivers State command on the night of October 3 was to protect the RSIEC office from attack overnight.
He said the action was proactive and responsive to intelligence at the disposal of the state command of the police.
“It is therefore shocking to see the state governor storming the RIEC office at night, wrongly accusing the police of 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,” Egbetokun added.
The ICIR reported that the FHC in Abuja on Monday, September 30, barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from releasing voters’ registers to RSIEC.
The court also stopped the IGP and the State Security Service (SSS) from providing security during the election scheduled for Saturday, October 5.