Barely 24 hours after the Rivers State government raised the alarm that the state police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu was plotting harm against Governor Rotimi Aamechi following the sudden withdrawal of the latter’s security commanders, the police command has offered explanations for the move.The state police command said   the  redeployment  of  Governor Amaechi’s escort commander  was  a  directive from the Inspector General  of  Police, Mr Mohammed  Abubakar. Reacting to the alarm by  the  state Commissioner  for Information, Mrs.  Ibim Semenitari, that  the re-deployment  was targeted  at  Governor Amaechi, the  command’s  Public Relations Officer, Mrs.  Angela Agabe,  said  there was no iota of  truth  in the   commissioner’s claim.She  explained  that  the IG’s  directive cuts  across  all  the Police commands in  the 36 states and Abuja,  insisting that it was neither peculiar to  Rivers State, nor targeted at any government official.  She regretted that every action  taken by the Nigeria Police is misinterpreted in Rivers State because of the political situation in the state.

She told  Saturday Sun  that  IG Abubakar  was  concerned about the bad image, positions like Escort Commander, Camp commandant, Officer In Charge of  Bomb(O/C Bomb), among  others, are giving  to the Nigeria Police, hence, the  decision to scrap them.

She  accused  the groups of operating outside the Commissioner of Police’s directives. Agabe  also denied the allegation that the  state police commissioner  was trying to extract information  from security men, attached to the Government House,  about  Amaechi’s  movements.

Besides  resting  such  positions, Agabe  disclosed  that  the IG  also directed  those  operating   in those  capacities,   at   various Government Houses in the country to  leave.

Governor Amaechi, however, described  as lame and unsatisfactory, the reasons  given by  the Police Commissioner for the redeployment of  the  Escort Commander.

The governor, who spoke to Saturday Sun  through  the  Commissioner  for Information,  Mrs., Ibim Semenitari, said: “The Rivers State Government is reluctant to accept what  it considers a lame and unsatisfactory argument  by the Rivers State Police Command.”

She  described  the   defence by the  police  as   an afterthought, saying the governor was concerned about the CP trying to get information about  his  movements, through security men attached to the Government House.

Ibim further said: “The excuse being proffered  by the Rivers Sate Police Command is clearly an afterthought, as this was not the reason given when both the Escort Commander and the Camp Commandant, were invited to the police headquarters. This excuse was also not proffered when the governor personally called  Mr. Mbu to complain about the removal of his escort commander.

“Matters of  personal security of government functionaries and especially, top officials like the governor of the state, are discussed and agreed with these officials.

“Even if, for the purposes of argument, it is indeed, factual that the Inspector General of police ordered the redeployment of Governor Amaechi’s Escort Commander, wouldn’t the courteous thing  be  for the Commissioner of  Police and the Police high command, to inform and explain this to Governor Amaechi?

-Sun