The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has clarified its role in the recent developments surrounding the scheduled local government elections in Rivers State, emphasizing that its actions were in line with a Federal High Court order barring its involvement in the elections.
This explanation followed Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s allegations of police interference after the NPF announced it would not participate in the elections scheduled for Saturday, October 5.
The situation escalated when police officers reportedly took over the premises of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC), leading to a confrontation between the police and Governor Fubara.
In a statement issued late Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police refuted the governor’s accusations, stating, “The Nigeria Police Force has noted with concern the recent statements made by the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, in which several unfounded allegations were leveled against the Office of the Inspector-General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force. In light of these claims, it has become necessary to set the record straight.”
The NPF explained that it acted based on a subsisting court order, which had been duly communicated to both the police and the Rivers State Government, restricting police involvement in the local government polls.
According to ACP Adejobi, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had instructed the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to comply with the court directive, which led to the withdrawal of police personnel from the election process.
On the night of October 3, reports surfaced that policemen from the Rivers State Government House had been deployed to RIEC to facilitate the election.
The commissioner promptly informed the IGP, who authorized the withdrawal of these officers and their replacement with personnel from the state command’s operations department.
The replacement officers were tasked solely with providing overnight security for the RIEC office to prevent any attacks on the facility.
In addressing the governor’s visit to the RIEC office, ACP Adejobi stated, “It is therefore shocking to see the state governor storming the RIEC office at night, wrongly accusing the police on 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.”
The police further condemned any threats of violence, warning against actions that could destabilize the state.
The statement concluded with an assurance that the NPF, in collaboration with other security agencies, would ensure the safety of Rivers State citizens and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
