Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, says operatives of the Force will continue to barricade all the 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State inspite of the political tension in the state.
The IGP also described the recent controversy generated by the recruitment of police constables as really appalling, noting the rigorous standards expected of officers.
Egbetokun stated these on Thursday in Abuja while addressing journalists on the sidelines of a meeting with Commissioners of Police and other senior officers.
The IGP stressed that policemen would not leave the council secretariats until a court judgement is delivered on the controversy over the tenure of local government council chairmen in the State.
Egbetokun said the presence of the police at the council secretariats was to ensure peace and order, but not to intimidate anyone.
He further reiterated the commitment of the Force to the need for preemptive measures to forestall any escalation of violence.
Egbetokun said, “You are all aware that in what happened two-three days ago, we lost a police inspector. We are sad about that. We don’t want to lose more men.
“We don’t want to lose more Nigerians. We don’t want to lose more citizens of Rivers State. So we have a duty to prevent the breakdown of law and order.
“And that’s why we have our men taking over the Secretariats while we await the outcome of the case in court.
“As soon as the court makes its pronouncement, we will remove the barricade. Thank you. “
The state police command had on Tuesday announced the taking over of all the council headquarters to forestall further bloodshed and to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
On Tuesday, a policeman and a vigilance group operative were killed during a clash between supporters of the Governor and those of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, at Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state.
Egbetokun also said the recent controversy surrounding the recruitment of police constables is really appalling, highlighting the rigorous standards expected of officers.
Reacting to the allegation from the Police Service Commission about the recruitment process, the IGP said the police management is wary of recruiting individuals deemed untrainable or unsuitable for police duties.
He said, “We recognize the power of the Commission to recruit for the police. We respect that power. And what we are doing is without prejudice to the powers of the Police Service Commission to recruit for the police. So we have to be careful with the kind of people we recruit into the police. And that’s what we are saying. So we are not fighting anybody. We are not fighting.
“I won’t respond to a call for my removal. Anybody can call for my remover. Anybody who doesn’t like me can come out tomorrow and say, remove the IG. That’s not a problem. We are all entitled to our opinion.”
