The Rivers State Police Command has issued a warning against the planned protest by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees scheduled for Monday, June 24, 2024.
In a statement released on Sunday night, police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko explained that while the police respect the right to lawful assembly, they strongly advise against the protest to avoid potential infiltration by troublemakers.
“The Rivers State Police Command has become aware of the planned protest by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, scheduled for June 24, 2024. While the Command recognizes and respects the right to lawful assembly, it has credible intelligence that this protest will be infiltrated and hijacked by hoodlums seeking to cause disruption and mayhem within the State. Consequently, the Command strongly advises the organisers to suspend the planned protest to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order. The Police will take all necessary lawful measures to protect the lives and properties of every resident in Rivers State. The Command has vowed to apprehend and prosecute any person or group that attempts to disrupt the peace,” the statement read.
To ensure public safety, Rivers State Commissioner of Police CP Olatunji Disu has deployed police officers to the secretariats of all 23 Local Government Areas in the state. “These officers will remain in their respective locations until the threat of disruption of peace is deemed to have ceased,” the statement added.
CP Disu reassured residents that comprehensive security measures have been put in place to safeguard lives, property, and ensure smooth traffic flow. He urged law-abiding citizens to go about their daily routines without fear, as the police are committed to their safety.
In related news, the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State have expressed their support for the police barricade of the council secretariats. Speaking under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) at a briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital, the chairmen warned against the planned protest.
Ezebunwo Ichemati, Chairman of ALGON and Administrator of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, described the protest as a sinister plot to create chaos and push for a state of emergency in the state.
“The planned protest is not in the interest of the local governments and the state in its entirety. Rather, it is a calculated attempt by enemies of our dear state to paint the people of the state in bad light, unleash mayhem while at it, and use it to further buttress their inordinate call for the declaration of a state of emergency in our dear state,” Ichemati said.
He emphasized that the local government chairmen support the police’s decision to protect all council secretariats and disassociated themselves from the protest.
“We emphatically state that we, members of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter, and our people are in support of the police decision to take control and protect all local government council secretariats until further directive on the matter,” Ichemati stated.
He added, “We want to categorically state that we are not in any way linked to the planned protest, as it is inimical to the progress and well-being of the people of the state, considering the sinister plots by some desperate politicians to take advantage under the guise of protest, to cause chaos and destabilize governance in the state.”
