The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on  Monday ordered the immediate withdrawal of police personnel previously deployed to seal off the 23 local government Council headquarters of Rivers State.


This directive was announced  in a statement by Grace Iringe-Koko, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command who explained that the order is in response to recent political developments in Rivers State.



"The newly deployed State Commissioner of Police, Bala Mustapha, conveyed the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the Local Government Secretariats in the State.”, the statement read, emphasizing that the decision “is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.”


It further clarified that personnel will only be redeployed to those areas if there was a crisis or breakdown of law and order, at which point emergency measures would be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.


The Rivers State Command assured the public of its continued commitment to maintaining peace and order across the State, while reiterating its professional conduct in carrying out its duties.