The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel previously deployed to seal off the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
This directive is contained in a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Iringe-Koko, on Monday.
According to the statement, the order follows recent political developments in Rivers State.
She said; “The newly deployed State Commissioner of Police, Bala Mustapha, conveyed 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.
“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the Local Government Secretariats, which were earlier secured by police personnel.
The statement emphasized that the decision, “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions”.
The statement, however, clarified that the personnel, “will only be redeployed to those areas if there was a crisis or breakdown of law and order, at which point emergency measures would 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,” the statement added.
