Rivers Crisis: We Will Arrest And Prosecute Those Who Take Laws Into Their Hands – Rivers CP Warns Residents

The Rivers state Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu has threatened to arrest and prosecute troublemakers as fresh crisis brews over the refusal of some council chairmen to vacate office.

Naija News reports that some youths had  barricaded the entrances of some local government council secretariats in the state on Monday denying council staff including chairmen access.

The youths insisted that the council chairmen and councilors must vacate their secretariats as their three-year term came to an end on June 17.

However, Disu warned individuals against taking the laws into their own hands, adding that anyone caught breaking the law would face the full wrath of the police force.

Speaking to newsmen, at the State Police Command headquarters on Monday, Disu assured the public of the Police commitment to maintaining law and order

The state police chief, in a passionate appeal, urged parents to caution their children against getting involved in the crisis, warning that they should not be used as “cannon fodder.”

He said, “My job as a police policeman protect lives and property. And that is what we have gone out to do since morning.

“We are aware of the crisis that has to do with the tenure of the Local Government Chairmen and we have gotten one court order or the other, and the court of Appeal has given an order for everybody to exercise restraints till the 20th of this month, just three days.

“So we expect everybody to respect it and not take laws into their hands and allow peace to continue as it is.

“Sincerely you know our officers have been out for the past three days.

“I just finished addressing them and I thank them for the good job they have done and because they have been out since 4 Am, and they just came back, we are not taking it lightly, we are ready to go, our officers have been on a show of force and we have had additional men given to us from the Headquarters, the equipment has been serviced and we are ready to go.

“This is just to assure members of the public that so far as we are concerned we are ready to do our jobs of protecting lives and property.”