“Self-Defense: Briggs Declares Rivers People Must Protect Themselves if Police Fail”

Babatunji Wusu –

• Ann-Kio Briggs condemns the Nigeria Police Force for dangerous operations in Rivers State.
• Criticism of selective enforcement of court orders after recent local elections.
• Concern over police withdrawal from local council secretariats despite warnings of potential violence.
• Call for presidential intervention, highlighting a lack of action from President Bola Tinubu.

Renowned environmentalist and human rights activist Ann-Kio Briggs has sharply criticized the Nigeria Police Force for what she deems “unacceptable” and “dangerous” operations in Rivers State, an area rich in oil resources. Her concerns were voiced during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today program.

Briggs expressed alarm over the police’s selective enforcement of court orders, particularly following the recent elections of 23 local government chairmen in the state. She condemned the decision to withdraw police officers from local council secretariats, especially after Governor Siminalayi Fubara warned of potential violence from political actors dissatisfied with the election outcomes.

She stated, “We’ve been crying out since last October when this political turmoil began. The witch cried in the night, and the child died in the morning; we know exactly what is going on.” Briggs highlighted that the local governments experiencing unrest are those whose leaders have resisted accepting the expiration of their tenures over three months ago and have openly criticized the governor.

Briggs further noted, “For the past three months, the police have kept the 23 local government offices of Rivers State under lock and key after the tenure of the chairmen expired. This morning, they were ordered to leave, fully aware that this would invite trouble, thereby endangering the newly elected chairmen.”

She emphasized that the people of Rivers State have been calling on President Bola Tinubu for over a year to intervene, yet he has remained aloof. “Now that chaos has erupted and local governments are ablaze, the President is urging the governor of Rivers State and unnamed individuals to ensure safety. The police should be safeguarding the state. This situation is dangerous and unacceptable to the people of Rivers State,” she concluded.