LG Polls: Rogue Policemen Break Rivers Electoral Commission Strong Room as Governor Fubara Foils Attempt to Cart Away Materials
By Juliet Vincent
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara , has foiled an attempt by the Nigerian Police, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), to take over the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) at 1am on Friday, 4 October, 2024.
The rogue policemen were said to have attempted to scale through 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.
This was contained in a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, Chief Press Secretary to the Rivers State Governor.
He claimed the deployment was said to have been ordered by the Inspector-General of Police.
Chukudi said, however, the evil plots of the rogue policemen and DC Ops were botched when vigilant security officials alerted principal officers of the Commission and relevant government authorities, who immediately informed the Governor of the development.
He said the Governor immediately led a team of government officials, lawmakers from the National Assembly and State House of Assembly, top political stakeholders, and other leaders to storm the facility.
Addressing newsmen in front of RSIEC Office on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, after an encounter with the rogue policemen, Governor Fubara condemned the conduct of the policemen on illegal duty, saying that the IGP was taking his friendship with some Abuja-based politicians too far.
He restated the position that the attempt to surreptitiously withdraw policemen already deployed to protect the facility, and replace them with a detachment from a neighbouring state was unacceptable.
He reminded the IGP that local government election was the internal affairs of states, and advised him to allow the federation unit conduct its affairs without interference.
At present, the Chief of Staff, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and State and National Assembly members, alongside other stakeholders, are manning the RSIEC office to ensure that the rogue policemen in two trucks and two Hilux vehicles do not return and that elections will go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.
