By Uche Onyeali
Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has warned thugs against taking advantage of the political crisis in Rivers State to attack and kill police officers and other security operatives.
Egbetokun was reacting to the killing of a police Inspector, David Mgbada, and a vigilante operative, Samuel Nwigwe, as violence broke out in the state, following a protest over replacement of local government chairmen whose tenures have expired.
Supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, clashed over the tenure of the 23 local government chairmen, leading to killing in the affected areas.
Reacting to the development, the IGP in a statement through the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, directed the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state.
He also ordered thorough investigations into the killing of the police officer and the vigilante operative, as well as the general violence which erupted in the state.
According to the statement, the IGP specifically deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team, IRT, to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the police officer and the vigilante member.
“The IGP warned individuals and groups of people who have a penchant for senseless attacks and mindless killing of police officers and other security operatives to desist forthwith as the fullest force of the law will be meted out on them,” the statement said.
