Babatunji Wusu –
The Rivers State Police Command disclosed their motivation for attacking Siminalayi Fubara, the state governor, on Wednesday during a protest that took place on Monday at the state’s House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt.
The leadership revealed that the purpose of the tear gas and water cannons was to scatter the demonstrators, not to target the governor.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the state’s spokesperson, released a statement on the development, saying, “The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations immediately deployed armed police operatives which he personally supervised in order to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the State House of Assembly facility and its environs following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, particularly at the State House of Assembly on Monday, October 30.
“At the complex’s entrance, it was noted that more than a hundred young people had started a demonstration in an attempt to enter the complex and behave in a way that could disrupt the tranquility.
As a result, the police had to use non-lethal crowd control tools including water cannons and tear gas to scatter the irrational and unruly demonstrators.
But a few minutes later, a different hostile group of people approached the complex’s entrance and moved into. As a result, the police confronted them similarly, but they noticed that Siminalayi Fubara, the State’s executive governor, was among them.
The police insisted that the governor’s presence at the scene was shocking and unexpected because they had not been informed in advance of the governor’s visit to the crime scene. Normally, it is customary and courteous for us to accompany the governor’s guard for safety purposes, especially in light of the known security threat at the time.
“Taking this into account, the DC Ops moved swiftly to implement strategic security measures to guarantee his safety and protection, while the Governor and his delegation proceeded to evaluate the extent of the fire incident’s damage.
Therefore, it’s important to clarify that the police did not intentionally harm the governor or even try to harm anyone, much less the chief executive and state security officer, who is our most important position to safeguard, despite what is being reported in the media. It is important to make this clear in light of the current circumstances and the misinformation that has been spreading through various media outlets.
“Consequently, the Rivers State Police Command has implemented sufficient security protocols to guarantee that the circumstances diminish and complete tranquility is reinstated in the impacted regions.”
