The Nigeria Police Command in Rivers State has denied claims that its personnel deliberately attacked the state governor Siminalayi Fubara during his visit to the state House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt.

Fubara alleged that some policemen shot, tear-gassed and used water cannons on him and his aides while on his way to assess the damaged state parliament building on Monday.

A video trending on social media also confirmed that the governor’s claims drew wide condemnation from Nigerians across the country.

Reacting, the spokeswoman for the police command in Rivers, Grace Iringe-Koko, denied the claim in a statement issued on Wednesday.

She said the anti-protest policemen deployed to secure the assembly complex from further attacks were unaware the governor was among the crowd approaching the facility.

Ms Iringe-Koko said, “Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem, particularly at the House of Assembly, armed police operatives were deployed.

“Also, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations (DC Ops) deployed the operatives going by the previous case of arson on the assembly building. The DC Ops personally supervised (the police operatives) to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the assembly facility and its environs.”

Ms Iringe-Koko said during the operation, that protesting youths stationed at the entrance of the assembly complex, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.

“This led to the police to deploy non-lethal crowd control equipment including tear gas and water cannon to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters,” added the spokeswoman. “However, some minutes later, another aggressive group of people approached the entrance of the complex and advanced toward the premises. The police therefore engaged them in a like manner but observed the Governor Siminalayi of Rivers state, was in their midst. The presence of the governor at the scene was of great surprise and shock as there was no prior communication to the police on his visit to the scene (assembly complex).”

Ms Iringe-Koko said the usual protocol for any governor visiting a crisis area was to inform the police ahead to enable the command to accompany and provide the governor the needed security.

She said upon realising the governor was among the crowd of persons approaching the assembly building, the DCOps immediately ordered his men to stand down and give him full  access.

“To this end, the governor and his entourage went on (inside the assembly complex to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident. It is pertinent to state that the police did not deliberately attack the governor, or even attempt to hurt anyone, let alone the chief executive and security officer of the state,” Ms Iringe-Koko explained. “It is our most essential role to protect the governor, and, as such, the news being peddled in some section of the media is a misrepresentation.”

(NAN)