The police in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, said they have taken over the secretariats of the 23 local councils in the state after deadly clashes erupted on Tuesday following the expiration of the three-year tenure of the council officials on Monday.
Two persons, including a police officer, were killed on Tuesday during a clash between two political factions, the police spokesperson in Rivers, Grace Iringe-Koko, said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“A case of death was recorded at Eberi-Omuma, Omuma Local Government Area, where a police officer and a vigilante were killed,” Ms Iringe-Koko, a superintendent of police, said in the statement.
“To forestall more bloodshed and prevent a further breakdown of law and order, the Police have taken over all the 23 Council Secretariats and some critical government infrastructure in the state. Conventional police officers and anti-riot police officers have been deployed to these facilities,” she added.
The spokesperson warned that the police were prepared to deal with troublemakers in the state.
Even though the police did not mention it, the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, controls one of the factions while his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the FCT minister, controls the other.
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The two estranged allies have been engaged in a political fight since last year which has battered the state legislature and disrupted governance in the oil-rich state.
The latest battle, which is also being fought in the courtrooms, is about who controls the local governments which is the third-tier of government in Nigeria.
Angry youths, apparently loyal to the Governor Fubara, poured into the streets on Tuesday and invaded the secretariats to force the chairpersons out of office amidst reports that the local officials had vowed to sit tight despite the state government announcing the end of their tenure and the appointment of interim administrators.
The council chairpersons, all of them loyalists of Mr Wike, claimed that their tenure had been extended by six months by a faction of lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike, a claim which has been invalidated by the ruling of two courts, including a recent one by the Court of Appeal.
Amidst the chaos, Governor Fubara has warned the police against arresting his supporters.
“Let me also say this: I’m also aware that there is a grand plan to come and arrest some of our supporters. This time around, you have to pass through me to arrest them because I don’t think there is anything that any of those people following us has done. Rather, they are standing on the side of truth,” Mr Fubara said on Tuesday before the police took over the local secretariats.
Source: Premium Times
