The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has said that police barricades at local government headquarters in Rivers state would remain in place until a court of competent jurisdiction rules on the dispute.
Egbetokun made this known while responding to questions from journalists regarding police seige on the local government councils despite the swearing-in of new local government chairmen by Governor Similayi Fubara.
The police boss, who spoke on the sideline of the monthly conference with senior police officers, Commissioners of Police (CPs) and above, at the Force Headquarters on Thursday, decried the fact that the Force had already lost one officer as a result of the crisis in the state, hence the decision have the police officers in place to avoid further break down of law and order.
“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,” he stated.
On 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 claimed there was no conflict between the Force and the commission.
According.to him, “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 maintained that the Force management would not sit idly and watch questionable and untrainable persons recruited into the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) which is a specialised institution that is not meant for everybody.
