The ongoing political warfare in Rivers state escalated
further on Thursday when police authorities in the state ordered the
withdrawal of Mobile Policemen posted to Okrika council secretariat as
well as the council chairman.
The incident followed a television interview on Channels Television, in which the chairman of Okrika local government council, Barr Tamuno William, a staunch supporter of the state governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, spoke on the sad developments in the state.
When reached to confirm the development, the Chairman of Okrika council area, William said it was true that all the mobile policemen who had until this morning provided security for the council and himself, had been withdrawn without notice.
According to him, he was yet to officially find out who was behind the development as those he had spoken to in the police hierarchy had just been telling him “it was an order from above”.
“All the mobile policemen attached to the council and my office have been withdrawn. No name as been mentioned as to who might have given the order for the withdrawal, everybody has just been saying ‘order from above’. As I am talking to you now we are without police protection”, William said.
Efforts to get a police response on the development was yet to be successful as at the time of filing this report as neither the calls or the message put across to the state’s Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, were returned.
The new Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Angela Agabe (DSP) who resumed duty on same Thursday, said she had gotten across to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Okrika and was still expecting details of what happened from him.
Reacting to the development, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, expressed amazement at the action of the police, saying it is becoming increasingly difficult not to believe that the police in the state had not been compromised.
She wondered why Okrika, a council area that holds many federal economic installations, would be subjected to a situation that can expose it to dangers as the police had done.
“It is difficult at this point now to determine if this is about misjudgement or if indeed the Police Commissioner is doing these things. It is worrisome when you hear that a local government chairman goes on air and immediately after, the Police Commissioner directs the Mopol Commander to withdraw the Mopol attached to Okrika, you then no longer understand what exactly is going on, whether it is about politics or about security because in a place like Okrika, it will be unthinkable that the Police Commissioner will ask that the Mopol in Okrika be withdrawn.
“Nobody can explain that and that is where you have vital federal installations, so what is this about? I really had, up till now, chosen to believe that the CP was not involved in any of these shenanigans going on, but with this latest thing now, I’m beginning to have the cause to worry and I really hope that I am still correct,” Semenitari said.
TRIBUNE
The incident followed a television interview on Channels Television, in which the chairman of Okrika local government council, Barr Tamuno William, a staunch supporter of the state governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, spoke on the sad developments in the state.
When reached to confirm the development, the Chairman of Okrika council area, William said it was true that all the mobile policemen who had until this morning provided security for the council and himself, had been withdrawn without notice.
According to him, he was yet to officially find out who was behind the development as those he had spoken to in the police hierarchy had just been telling him “it was an order from above”.
“All the mobile policemen attached to the council and my office have been withdrawn. No name as been mentioned as to who might have given the order for the withdrawal, everybody has just been saying ‘order from above’. As I am talking to you now we are without police protection”, William said.
Efforts to get a police response on the development was yet to be successful as at the time of filing this report as neither the calls or the message put across to the state’s Police Commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu, were returned.
The new Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Angela Agabe (DSP) who resumed duty on same Thursday, said she had gotten across to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Okrika and was still expecting details of what happened from him.
Reacting to the development, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, expressed amazement at the action of the police, saying it is becoming increasingly difficult not to believe that the police in the state had not been compromised.
She wondered why Okrika, a council area that holds many federal economic installations, would be subjected to a situation that can expose it to dangers as the police had done.
“It is difficult at this point now to determine if this is about misjudgement or if indeed the Police Commissioner is doing these things. It is worrisome when you hear that a local government chairman goes on air and immediately after, the Police Commissioner directs the Mopol Commander to withdraw the Mopol attached to Okrika, you then no longer understand what exactly is going on, whether it is about politics or about security because in a place like Okrika, it will be unthinkable that the Police Commissioner will ask that the Mopol in Okrika be withdrawn.
“Nobody can explain that and that is where you have vital federal installations, so what is this about? I really had, up till now, chosen to believe that the CP was not involved in any of these shenanigans going on, but with this latest thing now, I’m beginning to have the cause to worry and I really hope that I am still correct,” Semenitari said.
TRIBUNE
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