The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, says the withdrawal of police operatives from Saturday’s local government election in Rivers State conformed with a court order.

The IGP stated that there is a subsisting Federal High Court order barring the Nigeria Police Force from participating in the Rivers State elections, saying this order was duly served on both the NPF and the Rivers State Government.

Egbetokun made this known in a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, October 4, 2024.

Adejobi stated that as a law-abiding institution, the IGP instructed the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to strictly adhere to the court order by refraining from any direct involvement in the local government election.

He disclosed that the police commissioner, on Thursday evening, received reports that policemen from Rivers State Government House had been deployed to the office of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RIEC) to aid the conduct of the election.

The police spokesperson said: “This report was also relayed to the Inspector-General of Police who gave clearance to the Commissioner of Police to withdraw the policemen from the Government House and replace with policemen from the Command Operations department. The mandate of the men from the Operations Department was to provide overnight security for the RIEC to prevent any attack on the facility.

“It is also important to note that prior to this, there had been a series of security breaches in the state following the spate of court orders and counter orders and reactions to them by supporters of the different political parties involved.

“The response of the Command to secure RIEC overnight was therefore professional and supported by the Inspector-General of Police.

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“For emphasis sake, the policemen deployed to RIEC from the operations department of Rivers State Command on the night of 3rd October 2024 were with the sole mandate to protect the RIEC office from attack overnight. This action was proactive and responsive to intelligence at the disposal of the State Command.

“It is therefore shocking to see the state governor storming the RIEC office at night, wrongly accusing the police on lawful duties, deriding the Police institution and using unprintable words to describe the Inspector-General of Police.

“The Nigeria Police takes exception to the unwarranted outburst of the Governor and particularly the weighty accusations which he falsely levied against the Inspector-General of Police and the entire Nigeria Police Force and advise caution and decency in the pursuit of individual political goals.

“Threatening to shed blood and to burn down the State because of a Local Government election is not acceptable to us.”

Adejobi stated that the Nigeria Police Force is committed to the protection of lives and properties and will work with other security agencies in Rivers State to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in the state.

The police spokesman added that the IGP had ordered increased deployment into Rivers State to beef up security throughout the state.

He, therefore, urged the people of Rivers State to go about their lawful businesses.

The Star