Police unseal Rivers LG secretariats, withdraw personnel

After about five months of barricading the 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State due to a festering political crisis, the Police has ordered the immediate unsealing of the secretariats and the withdrawal of personnel.

The development followed the recently held local government elections, where the camp of Governor Siminalayi Fubara clinched winners from the platform of the Action Peoples Party (APP), in which they contested the election, while the Action Alliance (AA) won Etche Local Government Area (LGA).

A statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday morning by the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, gave the directive.

The statement read in part, “In view of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha, hereby conveys the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the local government secretariats in the state.

“This decision is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.

“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the local government secretariats, which were earlier secured by police personnel. The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.”

“The Rivers State Police Command assures the public of its readiness to maintain peace and order across the state and will continue to act professionally in discharging its duties. We urge all residents and stakeholders to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation continues to evolve.”