IGP never ordered anyone to kill Wike – Force spokesman

.Says, ‘Rivers governor has 221 police guards’

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed allegation by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, planned to kill him.

It described the allegation as malicious, saying it was capable of misleading and causing disaffection between the NPF and the people of Rivers State, the police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said in a statement on Sunday.

Wike had in an interview said the IGP had instructed the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zaki Ahmed, to kill him, but the police disclosed that the governor was being guarded by 221 policemen.

Moshood stressed that the governor had more policemen than some police area commands in some states and also faulted claims by Wike that nine Commissioners of Police had served in the state since the IGP assumed office, hinting that only three CPs had served there.

He said: “There was no time either recently or in the past that the Inspector-General of Police gave an order or assignment to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State or any police officer anywhere in the country to kill Mr. Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State or directs the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State to cage the governor as alleged.

“It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the governor to the facts and figures available for press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 police personnel attached currently to Governor Nyesom Wike for his personal and office protection.”

According to the police, the personnel attached to Gov. Wike included one Aide-De-Camp, one Chief Security Officer, one Unit Commander (Special Protection Unit) ; one Unit Commander (Counter Terrorism Unit) and one Escort Commander.

Others are one Camp Commander; one Admin officer to administer the police personnel, 54 Inspectors, 136 Sergeants and 24 Corporals.

The police spokesman explained that 28,000 policemen and personnel of other security agencies were deployed in Rivers State in December last year for the rerun election.

The statement further reads: “Obviously, the total number of 221 Police Personnel attached to the 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, Governor of Rivers State, 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 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.”