Why Police continue to barricade Rivers LGA council headquarters – IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced that police officers stationed at the local government headquarters in Rivers State will remain in place until a court issues a ruling on the ongoing dispute.

 

Egbetokun was addressing queries about the continued police presence despite the swearing-in of new local government chairmen by Governor Similayi Fubara following the expiration of the former officials’ terms.

 

“The local government administration issue in Rivers State is under court review. We lost an Inspector and others due to the crisis. To prevent further violence and property destruction, we will stay until the court makes a decision. Once the court rules, we will vacate the premises,” Egbetokun stated.

 

Regarding the call by the Police Service Commission (PSC) worker’s union for President Bola Tinubu to remove him over alleged police interference in the recent recruitment of 10,000 constables, the IGP clarified there is no conflict between the Police Force and the PSC.

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“The Supreme Court has granted the PSC authority over police recruitment, but this does not exclude the Police from the process. It is crucial that we are involved to ensure the right individuals are recruited. Ignoring this could lead to significant issues. Thus, there is no conflict between us and the PSC,” he said.

 

Addressing senior police officers, including DIGs, AIGs, and Command CPs, IGP Egbetokun emphasized the police’s role in combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

 

“We have established an Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Section at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, which will be extended to all Zonal and State Commands. Our collaboration with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) is vital to enhance our capabilities in investigating and prosecuting financial crimes,” Egbetokun explained.

 

He highlighted the police’s success in recent operations, including the recovery of billions of Naira and the arrest of a top global cybercriminal. Significant crime statistics since he took office include 814 terrorism cases, 2,308 murders, 856 armed robberies, 1,453 kidnappings, and 1,429 other cases. Additionally, 35,496 suspects were arrested, 1,907 kidnapped victims were rescued, and numerous firearms and vehicles were recovered.

 

Egbetokun also noted the promotion of 33,867 officers based on merit and the upgrade of the Force Intelligence Bureau to a full-fledged department, enhancing operational effectiveness.

 

To address Nigeria’s security challenges, a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) was created, achieving notable successes, particularly in the FCT since its launch in January 2024. Egbetokun called for the continuation of these strategies to maintain internal security.