Policemen’s presence at the RSIEC office purely precautionary, says PPRO

The Rivers State Police Command has refuted allegations made by the state governor, Siminalaiyi Fubara, who claimed that police officers were attempting to unlawfully remove sensitive electoral materials from the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.

In a statement released Friday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the command clarified that policemen’s presence at the RSIEC office was solely for security purposes, based on intelligence reports of an impending attack on the premises.

“The Rivers State Police Command wishes to state categorically that the deployment of our officers to the RSIEC was strictly in response to credible intelligence suggesting that hoodlums were planning an arson attack on the electoral body’s office,” the statement read.

Iringe-Koko further explained that the police had earlier withdrawn officers from RSIEC in compliance with a Federal High Court ruling on September 30, 2024, which prohibited police involvement in the scheduled local government elections.

“It should be noted that our officers from the Rivers State Government House were previously deployed at RSIEC, but were promptly withdrawn following the Federal High Court’s directive barring police participation in the elections,” she stated.

The command reiterated its commitment to ensuring peace and stability during the electoral process.

“We remain dedicated to maintaining law and order. Our presence at the RSIEC office was purely precautionary, and we urge residents to remain law-abiding as we continue to protect lives and property,” she said.

The police called on all citizens to cooperate and refrain from actions that could disrupt the peace.

“We ask the good people of Rivers State to act within the confines of the law. The Police will take all necessary steps to preserve the peace and ensure a safe environment for all,” the statement added.

Earlier, Fubara lamented several attempts to prevent the state’s October 5 local government election from holding, saying authoritatively that the elections will be held.

The governor’s reaction was a sequel to an incident which happened around 1 am on Friday (today), in which some men dressed in police uniforms attempted to take over the office of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission.