The Nigerian Police Force Headquarters has said that 221 police personnel are attached to the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike for his personal and office protection.
This was contained in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by the Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood while responding to a media report that Governor Wike alleged that the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), Ibrahim Idris had ordered that he be killed.
While denying the governor’s allegation as ungubernatorial, unexecutive, malicious, CSP Moshood said the 221 personnel attached to Wike is more than what some Police Command have.
“It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the Governor of Rivers State to the facts and figures available for Press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 Police Personnel attached currently to His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State for his Personal and office protection.
“The breakdown is as follows, one ADC (SPO), one CSO (SPO), one Unit Commander (Special Protection Unit) SPO, one Unit Commander (Counter Terrorism Unit) SPO, one Escort Commander (SPO), one Camp Commander (SPO), one Admin officer (SPO) to administer the Police Personnel, 54 Inspectors of Police, 136 Police Sergeants and 24 Police Corporals.”
The statement further reads: “Obviously, the total number of 221 Police Personnel attached to His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State is more than the strength of some Police Area Commands formation in some states of Nigeria.
“This is done to ensure optimum safety and protection of the Executive Governor of Rivers State.
“It is also factual to state that His Excellency, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has not at any time reported or brought to the notice of the Inspector General of Police any security breach or lapses from these Police personnel attached to him till date.”
On the 28,000 Police Personnel and the Personnel of the other Security and Safety agencies deployed to Rivers State under the aegis of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), a platform created by INEC and the Nigeria Police Force, the police explained that they were deployed in order to ensure the security and safety of the electorates, electoral officials, election materials and other critical stakeholders before, during and after the re-run election held in December, 2016 and not to kill innocent Nigerians.
The police also urged the governor to put into consideration national security and shun any personal grudges he has against the IG.
“His Excellency, should put into cognizance National Security and that of the people of Rivers State as against any personal, political or group interest, and resist the use of personal grudges, grouse and sentiment to attack the hard earned personality of the Inspector-General of Police to cast aspersion on the Statutory roles of the Force in ensuring utmost protection of life and property of all Nigerians.
Also, contrary to claims that nine Commissioners of Police have served in Rivers State in the last two years, the police said: “the record is there for everyone to check only three Commissioners of Police have served in Rivers State since the inception of the administration of the Inspector General of Police.”
“The first Commissioner of Police was redeployed to a higher duty post when he was promoted to the rank of a Deputy Inspector General of Police, while the second died after a brief illness on admission at an Indian Hospital; the third is the current Commissioner of Police in Rivers State.”