Wike accuses DCP of attempting to sabotage lockdown order
The governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, has accused the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rivers state Police Command, Adamu Abubakar, of attempting to sabotage the lockdown in the state.
The governor said that the senior police officer was issuing illegal letters to companies operating in the state to contravene the lockdown order aimed at checking the spread of the coronavirus.
In a press briefing after monitoring the level of compliance in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas locked down from Thursday, Governor Wike stated: “It is unfortunate to see the level of sabotage that we get from the police, particularly the deputy commissioner of police, operations, Rivers state Police Command.
“The deputy commissioner of police will sign approvals for companies because he wants to collect money. I am the governor of this state and there cannot be two governors,” he said.
He stated that the approvals issued by the police or any other authorities, outside the office of the governor were illegal.
He said: “The deputy commissioner of police has no powers to issue approvals when the state government has locked down the state. After the state security council met and agreed on the lockdown, the deputy commissioner of police went ahead to issue illegal letters to companies to operate. I have never seen that in my life.”
The governor said that all those who were arrested for violating the lockdown would be prosecuted by the state government.
He said: “All these violators must be prosecuted at the mobile courts set for this purpose. What we are doing is not for any particular individual, it is for the interest of the state.”
Governor Wike assured Rivers people that the lockdown would be lifted as soon as the objectives were achieved.
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He said: “Our people are suffering, I agree. But, this is something we must do. When we examine the level of compliance and it is reasonable, of course, we will unlock the two local government areas.
“It is not in our own interest that people shouldn’t come out or go to the markets. But, we are talking about lives and how to protect our people.
“Look at what is happening in other parts of the country, the deputy commissioner of police, operations wants us to suffer,’ he declared.
Governor Wike said that the state security council would hold an emergency meeting on the illegal activities of the deputy commissioner of police.
He said: “I have called for an emergency of security council meeting by 3pm today. This is a complete sabotage by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Rivers State Police Command. We will deal with that accordingly.
“I, however, thank the Army, the Navy and others on what they are doing to enforce the lockdown.
“For the deputy commissioner of police to sabotage us, that will not be accepted. I arrested those people and he had the guts to tell them to release those I arrested on the road because he is collecting money from companies. That is unacceptable.”
Governor Wike insisted that all impounded vehicles would be auctioned.
