The Rivers State Police Command has lifted the seal on all 23 Local Government Area (LGA) secretariats across the state, following the recent election and swearing-in of new council chairmen.
Command spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed the development in a statement on Monday morning, News About Nigeria reports.
The order, executed by the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, was made under the directives of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun.
Iringe-Koko noted that the withdrawal of police personnel stationed at the secretariats aligns with the police force’s commitment to uphold neutrality and support democratic institutions.
The LGA secretariats were originally sealed in June amid a political standoff between caretaker committee chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara and outgoing chairmen aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The tension eased following the election conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and the subsequent swearing-in ceremony, held on Sunday in Port Harcourt’s Executive Council Chambers.
In an official statement, the command said it is ready to maintain peace and order across Rivers State while pledging to redeploy police personnel to the secretariats if necessary to prevent any disruptions.
The full statement from the command reads:
“In view of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha hereby conveys 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. This decision is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.
“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the local government secretariats, which were earlier secured by police personnel. The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will 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 evolves.”
