Police Officers From the River State LGA Secretariats Are Withdrawn by IGP.

The Rivers State Police Command has lifted the seal on all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats in the state following the election and subsequent swearing-in of new chairpersons. This information was relayed in a statement by the spokesperson for the State Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, earlier on Monday morning. She indicated that the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, acting under the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has mandated the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel who were previously assigned to secure and seal the council secretariats in the state. The secretariats had been sealed in June due to a conflict between the Caretaker Committee Chairpersons, who were aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and the former local government chairpersons, who were supporters of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). This action followed the swearing-in of 23 newly elected local government chairpersons by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The ceremony took place at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Sunday, just a day after the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted elections at the grassroots level. “In light of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha, hereby communicates the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously assigned to seal and secure the Local Government Secretariats in the state. This decision aligns with the Nigeria Police Force's commitment to maintaining neutrality and ensuring the effective operation of democratic institutions. “Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the Local Government Secretariats that were previously secured by police personnel. The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or disruption of law and order, at which point emergency measures will be promptly enacted to restore normalcy. The Rivers State Police Command guarantees the public of its commitment to uphold peace and order throughout the state and will persist in executing its responsibilities with professionalism. We encourage all residents and stakeholders to stay calm and adhere to the law as the situation develops.