Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara last night foiled an attempt by rogue policemen from scaling through the gates and strong room of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission(RSIEC) to reportedly cart away materials for this Saturday’s LG elections.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi disclosed this in a statement.
It seems tensions are running high ahead of the controversial local government elections in Rivers State, especially around the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC). The police presence at the facility was met with strong resistance from a crowd, and the situation escalated to the point where the officers were chased away. Given that the police had already indicated they would not be involved in the election, it adds another layer of uncertainty to the deployment. The crowd’s reactions, including calling the police derogatory names, suggest significant distrust or dissatisfaction with law enforcement or the electoral process.
This development highlights the potential for further unrest as the local government elections approach, especially if the electoral process is already being viewed as controversial by sections of the public. Have there been any updates on how the authorities are planning to address the situation or ensure security during the elections?
It sounds like a significant event took place, possibly involving a confrontation between a crowd and law enforcement or officials, including Governor Similanya Fubara. Could you provide more context or details? What was the nature of the incident, and what were they responding to?
A statement issued by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS) said that the Governor foiled an attempt by the Police, led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over RSIEC on Friday, 4th October, 2024 at 1am .
The statement said the rogue policemen attempted to scale the gates and strong room of the commission to cart away sensitive electoral materials meant for the conduct of Saturday’s local government election in the state.
It sounds like there was a tense situation involving the deployment of security forces, possibly without proper authorization. From the statement, the Inspector-General of Police was accused of ordering this deployment, but it was thwarted when vigilant security personnel notified senior officers and government officials. The governor, along with other political leaders and lawmakers, then took swift action to intervene.
This kind of situation typically reflects concerns over the legality or appropriateness of security actions, and the governor’s response indicates a high level of concern about potential overreach or conflict.
It seems like you’re referring to a situation involving a local government election where Fubara, presumably a political figure, is condemning the actions of policemen who were involved in illegal duties, possibly at the instruction of higher authorities. Fubara criticizes the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for overstepping boundaries, suggesting that the IGP’s friendship with politicians in Abuja is influencing law enforcement activities.
He emphasizes that the withdrawal of officers from their assigned duties to replace them with a detachment from another state is inappropriate. Fubara asserts that local government elections fall under the jurisdiction of the state and that federal authorities should not interfere in these internal state matters.
This appears to be a significant political and law enforcement issue, involving tensions between state and federal authorities. Would you like further context or more details on this topic?
The statement further said that the Chief of Staff, Rivers Speaker and State and National Assembly members with other stakeholders, were manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles did not return and that elections would go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.