- By Halimah Olamide
Consequently, the police have taken over the 23 council secretariats and some critical government facilities to forestall further unrest and breakdown of law and order.
Men of the Rivers command of the Nigeria Police have taken over all the 23 local government secretariat offices in River state.
This was just as crisis over the expiration of tenure of the council chairmen lapsed on Monday.
The police said the take over became necessary in all 23 Local Government Secretariats to avert vandalisation of some critical government infrastructure.
Police also said this is to halt further bloodbath as well as a breakdown of law and order due to the spread of the crisis over the tenure of the outgoing council chairpersons.
Youths, who are mostly supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubaratook over the secretariatsfollowing the expiration of the tenure of the local government chairpersons who are mostly loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike on Monday.
Grace Iringe-Koko, spokesperson of the command said, “Operatives have been deployed to uphold peace in all the 23 Local Government Areas (LGA).
“The clash between the two political factions, sparked by disagreement over the chairmen’s tenures, resulted in the deaths of a police officer and a vigilante member in Eberi-Omuma community.
“Consequently, the police have taken over the 23 council secretariats and some critical government facilities to forestall further unrest and breakdown of law and order.
“To ensure order, the command has also deployed anti-riot police officers to the various council headquarters,” Iringe-Koko announced.”
On Tuesday, loyalists of Governor Sim Fubara had taken over the council secretariats in all parts of the state.
Those chairmen who made attempt to force their ways into their offices were attacked and forced to beat retreat.
For most part of Tuesday, restless youths who are supporters of Fubara insisted that the council chairmen’s tenure had expired urging the governor to replace them.
Fubara had announced that Heads of Administrations of the councils should take over the affairs pending further directives.