Six police officers attached to the security team of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, have been dismissed for causing chaos during the legislative  re-run election in the state on December 10, 2016.

Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the Police Headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

He said the affected officers acted against the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris that no police personnel should interfere in the electoral process.

Awunah said that investigations carried out by the force revealed that the dismissed officers while in the convoy of governor Wike on the date of election “misused the firearms in their possession contrary to the provisions of Force Order 237.”

The officers allegedly joined in storming the Port Harcourt City Council Secretariat and prevented the movement of election results of Emouha polling unit to the appropriate collation centre designated by INEC, disregarding and disobeying senior Police officers present at the venue.

According to Awunah, “the officers became overzealous, took laws into their hands and opened fire, causing panic in the crowd.”

The names of the officers were given as: Eyong Victor, Peter Ekpo, Oguni Goodluck, Orji Nwoke, Okpe Ezekiel and Tanko Akor.

The police spokesman added that the six Police officers, “after the conclusion of investigation into their actions, were subjected to internal disciplinary measures, found guilty and consequently dismissed from the Force.”

He said that they will be prosecuted under the Electoral Act to serve as a deterrent to others.

The legislative re-run election in Rivers state was, as predicted by many political watchers, characterized by massive violence and killings.

A police Deputy Superintendent was beheaded by a cult group alongside his orderly in one of the many instances of brutality that accompanied the election.

The struggle for power in River State is mainly between the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by governor Nyesom Wike, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, whose leader is former governor and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.

Independent reports after the December 10 rerun elections blamed both parties as well as security agencies for the killings and destruction that marred the entire process.