Governor Siminilayi Fubara and his loyalists have chased away police officers deployed to provide security at the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) in Port Harcourt. Mr Fubara accused Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police, of being “very wicked” and “fraudulent.”

“I’ll be here. In fact, if I go back and I here anybody, I’ll come here. This is my property, and you don’t have any power whatsoever to bar me from entering it,” Mr Fubara told journalists in a video circulating online on Friday. “Just try it, then that your history as a very wicked and fraudulent inspector general of police will include shooting Fubara. I think I’ve given him enough respect.”

The team of officers said to have been sent to enforce the July 19, 2024, order of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court against the October 5, 2024, council elections allegedly invaded the RSIEC office at midnight, attempting to get access to the premises.

On hearing the report, the governor and his supporters stormed the scene, forced the invading officers back to the vehicles and chased them away before barricading the premises against any further invasion.

“I had to come myself to find out why would such a thing happen. From what I heard, that one, is it DC Operation, brought them here to withdraw policemen that are already here protecting this place, so that new officers will take over the place.

“We’ve been taking enough nonsense from this institution. Everybody is aware of the court judgment, and even the ruling specify anywhere that election should not hold? It said, don’t give voters register. What are we doing with it? Okay, police, don’t provide security, is it the same thing as blocking the election?” Mr Fubara explained.

Questioning the relationship between Mr Egbetokun and an unnamed powerful politician (likely former Governor Nyesom Wike) in Rivers, Mr Fubara stated, “I don’t know what the relationship between the inspector general of police and one person who claims he has so much power in this state, because it’s beginning to go beyond the normal professional relationship. The government wrote a letter with the judgment that we gave to him. But what he’s acting on is what he called the judgement they got from the Federal High Court. 

“Even if we should go by that, did the judgment by the Federal High Court, say election should be barred? That justice that gave that fraudulent judgment, did he say no election? Rather, he tactically said “don’t provide.” We don’t need your security. We will provide our own security. After all, it happened in Anambra. Where was security?”

Mr Fubara insisted that the council elections must hold in Rivers without the security cover of the police which he described as compromised.

“This election must hold. If you like, whatever it is you want to do, do it. The election will hold, results will be declared, people will be sworn in. I say it here,” said the Rivers governor. “What kind of a country is it? And when it comes to the issue of Rivers state, it becomes different. You’re not ashamed of yourselves, and you call yourselves the Nigerian police. Enough is enough.”

The invasion came despite a statement by the force’s spokeswoman in Rivers, Grace Iringe-Koko, acknowledging the court’s restraining order preventing the police and other security agencies from providing security during the polls.

“On September 30, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered a judgment that again prohibited the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies from participating in the local government election. Given these circumstances, the Nigeria Police Force has been advised by the Force Legal Department that the ruling from the Federal High Court on September 30, 2024, takes precedence.