Speaker 1: Nigeria Inspector General of Police Kayone and Metokun has given
Speaker 1: more explanations as it concerns Nigeria Police in the last
Speaker 1: Saturday local government area elections in Rivers State send the
Speaker 1: violence directed in the states after the declaration of the
Speaker 1: council poll results in which Rivers State Governor similar Laifubara
Speaker 1: has set up a several man judiciary Panel of Inquiry
Speaker 1: to investigate the assen and reported killings in some local
Speaker 1: government areas of the state. It would be recalled that
Speaker 1: several local government secretariats in the state were attacked on
Speaker 1: Monday and some persons killed as the newly elected local
Speaker 1: government officials attempted to access their offices. Reports indicated that
Speaker 1: most of the elected council chairmen and once councilors have
Speaker 1: resumed their offices after the post election violence in the state.
Speaker 1: In a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday afternoon,
Speaker 1: Secretary to the State Government, Doctor Tami Danagugu, indicated that
Speaker 1: the inn duration of the panel was held at four
Speaker 1: pm at Government House, Port Harcourt on Tuesday. The statements
Speaker 1: listed Honorable Justice I Army in Acarius as Chairman of
Speaker 1: the committee with Barrista Felicia in Wokee, Professor of Blessindedia,
Speaker 1: Sir samuel A Bay and Venderable alex Ensifor as numbers one,
Speaker 1: misses in Indie Brown and Barrista also Ikega will serve
Speaker 1: as Secretary and Council to the Panel respectively. The statement
Speaker 1: raid in part pursuance to Section two one of the
Speaker 1: Commissions of Inquiring Law Cap. Thirty Lots of Rivers State
Speaker 1: of Nigeria, nineteen ninety nine, His Excellency Sir Seminalarifubara, GSSRS,
Speaker 1: Governor of Rivers State, has approved the setting up of
Speaker 1: a judicial Commission of Inquiry into the assent killings and
Speaker 1: wanton destruction of property at some local government Council headquarters
Speaker 1: which occurred on all about Monday October seven, twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1: Members of the Commission will be sworn in today Tuesday,
Speaker 1: October at twenty twenty four at the Executive Council Chambers,
Speaker 1: Government House, Port Harcourt at four pm. They are to
Speaker 1: be seated by three thirty pm. Nigeria Inspector General of Police,
Speaker 1: Kayode eg Metokol, in a statement signed and made available
Speaker 1: by the first Spokesperson although we were at the JERBI
Speaker 1: reiterated that the police acted in line with curt order
Speaker 1: and was not partisan during the council elections. The statement
Speaker 1: rates in response to the misinformation circulating in the media's
Speaker 1: place with regards to the actions of the Nigeria Police
Speaker 1: Force in the River State political arena, particularly regarding the
Speaker 1: just concluded River State Local Government LG elections. The Force
Speaker 1: wishes to demand the prevalent forcehood of partisanship and reaffirms
Speaker 1: its neutrality and non interference in political affairs within the
Speaker 1: state and the country in general. As the NPF only
Speaker 1: acted inligned with an existing court judgment of the Federal
Speaker 1: High Court. First, the Nigeria Police Force was served with
Speaker 1: an order of injunction by the Federal High Court med
Speaker 1: on the nineteenth of July twenty twenty four, barring the
Speaker 1: police from participating in the local government election doing its unlawful. Secondly,
Speaker 1: the River State High Court issued a counter order on
Speaker 1: the fourth of September twenty twenty four directed the Nigeria
Speaker 1: Police Force and other federal security agencies to provide security
Speaker 1: at the local government elections. It should be noted that
Speaker 1: the NPF was not joined as a party in the
Speaker 1: suit and toddly the Federal High Court that guilt the
Speaker 1: area in junction. The rivered judgment on the thirtieth of
Speaker 1: September twenty twenty four nullifying all previous activities so far
Speaker 1: carried in respect of the LG election and ordered the
Speaker 1: police to stay away from any attempt to provide security
Speaker 1: during the said election. All dan's orders and counter orders
Speaker 1: were served on the police. The IGP, being a thoroughbred
Speaker 1: committed to operating within the legal framework, forwarded the three
Speaker 1: court orders to the First Legal Section four advice for
Speaker 1: the information of members of the public. The first Legal
Speaker 1: Section boasts of sound and experienced lawyers who have distinguished
Speaker 1: themselves in the legal profession, including a Senior Advocate of
Speaker 1: Nigeria SAM. Based on the legal advice received from the
Speaker 1: First Legal Office, the IGP ordered the Rivers s tenth
Speaker 1: Police Command to abide by the ruling of the Federal
Speaker 1: High Court and also communicated the same to the Governor
Speaker 1: of Rivers Stent via a letter with reference number c
Speaker 1: H three Thy five hundred and fourteen IGP sec abj
Speaker 1: v L thirty eight, two hundred sixtieth. Later, the second
Speaker 1: of October twenty twenty four, where the IGP advised the
Speaker 1: Governor to also abide by the court ruling in the
Speaker 1: intern of peace and well Being of the people of
Speaker 1: Rivers State. The misinformation triggered by the unwarranted outmost of
Speaker 1: the Executive Governor of Rivers State based on non material
Speaker 1: fact was totally uncalled for and refer to the law
Speaker 1: enforcement institutions in Nigeria, most especially his verbal attack on
Speaker 1: the person and office of the Inspector General of Police.
Speaker 1: For the avoidance of doubts, the general public is free
Speaker 1: to profile the career journey of the Inspector General of
Speaker 1: Police and his track record in every place he has served,
Speaker 1: which undoubtedly show him as a man of honor, integrity
Speaker 1: and focus. Before and after his assumption of office as
Speaker 1: the twenty second Indigenous Inspector General of Police of Nigeria.
Speaker 1: The IGP is very well respected in the Association of
Speaker 1: Chiefs of Police worldwide, particularly in Africa, where he is
Speaker 1: currently servant as the Chairman of the West African Police
Speaker 1: Chiefs Committee the WAP and providing meritorious leadership within the
Speaker 1: West African Chiefs of Police. We have sent Chiefs of
Speaker 1: Police from across the world coming to attend his events
Speaker 1: in Nigeria and extended several invitations to him. For the
Speaker 1: first time, the President of Interval was at the opening
Speaker 1: ceremony of the Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat in Owari
Speaker 1: last year. Under this IGP, let us please observe some
Speaker 1: decorum in our politics in Nigeria. It is also instructive
Speaker 1: to note that the NPF does not intend to engage
Speaker 1: in any form of media tussle or war with the
Speaker 1: person of the Executive Governor of Rivers State, his administration
Speaker 1: or his political affiliations, but will continue to play its
Speaker 1: role as a neutral body in all forms of political
Speaker 1: activities undistracted. Similarly so far as to say that the
Speaker 1: local government elections were generally peaceful nationwide, especially instances where
Speaker 1: the police were in charge of the sector. In the
Speaker 1: same ven, the Inspector General of Police IGP Coyote a
Speaker 1: metocun PhD NPM directed the immediate onsling of all local
Speaker 1: Government Council secretariats in Rivers State which were previously sealed
Speaker 1: when violence directed in the state over who controlled the
Speaker 1: local government secretariat between elected chairmen whose tenue expired and
Speaker 1: caretical Committee inaugurated by the state government, which matter was
Speaker 1: pending in court. The on selling yesterday the sixth of
Speaker 1: October twenty four after the police received the report that
Speaker 1: elected chairmen has been sworn in by the state government.
Speaker 1: The decision to unsell the local government secretariats was informed
Speaker 1: by the need to maintain neutrality in the political development
Speaker 1: in the states and allow smooth functioning of democratic institutions
Speaker 1: in the state. The IGP, however, condemns the spirit of
Speaker 1: violent confrontations and attacks at some local government secretariats leading
Speaker 1: into destruction of government facilities in the state immediately after
Speaker 1: the onseling of the secretariats. He has promptly tasked the
Speaker 1: State Commissioner of Police to rise up to the occasion
Speaker 1: and restore law and order in the state. The IGP
Speaker 1: emphasizes the fossils commitment to maintaining law and order, of
Speaker 1: holding democratic principles and fostering peace, unity and progress across
Speaker 1: the nation. Sasuade Greeny Renee in a more digital me