Ibrahim Idris
Ibrahim Idris

 

The Civil Liberties Organisation CLO, has condemned the withdrawal of the Chief Security Officer to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike by the Nigeria Police headquarters in Abuja.

CLO said on Friday that the withdrawal posed a security threat to Rivers State and indeed the Niger Delta region particularly at this time which is so close to the re-run elections in the state. Spokesman of the organisation, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike in a statement said:

“The attention of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has been drawn to the withdrawal of the Chief Security Officer to the Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyeson Wike, by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Abubukar.

“This lawless action was taken few days to the rescheduled Re-run elections into the National Assembly in Rivers State and in view of the threat to security in the Niger Delta region, especially in Rivers state in the wake of this re-run election.

“Media reports quote police authorities’ reasons for this obnoxious action as a punishment to the CSO for his partisanship. The CSO, according to CLO findings, was alleged to have participated in an APC political rally in Rivers state. The right person to complain against the CSO for such unpleasant act if at all such allegation existed, is Governor Wike . Unfortunately, no complaints were lodged against the CSO by the governor.

“CLO investigations indicate that the Commissioner of Police in the state has been changed for many times since May 29, 2015, when Barr. Wike assumed duties as the governor of the State. In the build up to the said re-run elections, many Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) have been transferred by Abuja.

“Towards the end of the tenure of the former governor of the State, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, the former PDP government embarked on such senseless actions as this and CLO didn’t mince words in condemning the conspiracy and urging the 7th NASS to live up to their responsibilities till justice was done.

“We are hugely astonished that APC which rode to power on the pretext it would rewrite the ills of the previous regimes, has indulged in worse conduct of such odious practices than the PDP. CLO totally rejects the argument of the APC that while they are repeating this impunity is because PDP did same when it was power. For us, that argument is childish and holds no water at all.

“The governor of a state is the leader of such state and must be respected as such in accordance with the provisions of our law and global best practices. We must at all times call abuse of the due process, rule of law and human rights by its name –an abuse.

“While CLO shall hold the Inspector General of Police accountable for any break down of law and order in Rivers state during and after the elections till the right thing is done, we call on the National Assembly to as of a matter of urgency do the following that would help put an end to this madness:-

“Order the Inspector General of Police to immediately restore the Chief Security Officer to the Governor of Rivers state. Warn him of further indulgence in such anti-democratic acts in future.

“Review the Act establishing the Nigeria Police with a view to making the institution independent in all ramifications, including freedom from unnecessary executive interference and to strengthen it to effectively perform its duties of securing the nation.

“We do recall that during the last elections in the state, a youth corps member, Samuel Okonta, was murdered in cold blood while performing his national duties. Till date, his killers have not been tracked and prosecuted by the Police before this current lawlessness that is capable of causing more serious threats to the security of lives and property during Saturday’s elections. Nigeria remains few of the global nations that have no respect for human life. CLO, shall, henceforth, begin to hold state actors responsible for killing citizens in extra judicial circumstances.”