The Police yesterday apologised to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State over the role of some of its men in the crisis rocking the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The police authorities vowed to redress the mistakes inadvertently made by its officers.
The new Assistant Inspector- General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 6, Jonathan Johnson, while acknowledging that police officers and men in the State Command might have made errors in the discharge of their constitutional duties in the recent political saga in the state, hailed Amaechi for improving the welfare and operations of the Police in the state.
Johnson stated this when he led a delegation of senior police officers in the zone on a courtesy call to the governor at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday.
The AIG said he had directed the Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, to ensure that there was no security breach in the state.
He said: “So, we will take note of all these mistakes and we will correct them. I am assuring you, we will correct them. If there are lapses noticed, let us know so that we can make amends.
“And I also want to thank you (Amaechi) that for all you have done for us and the others that you are going to do. We shall continue to appreciate because you know requests from the police will never stop coming.
“Every human being that has served or is going to serve (the Nigeria Police Force) sometimes is susceptible to some errors here and there and when that comes to forefront, it is incumbent on that very particular person to say we shall amend.
“I know when these issues of withdrawal of security from some staff officers of yours came, there were agitations here and there.”
Johnson also informed the Governor that Mr Mbu had been instructed to replace the police orderlies from the Anti-Terrorism Squad withdrawn from some top officials in the state with policemen from the Special Protection Unit.
“We have always been at the wrong side of history because of one thing or the other but you (Amaechi) show understanding in our mistakes, you show understanding in our service and that is why you’ve provided all these things.
“We remain grateful to you on behalf of the Inspector- General of Police. We say a big thank you.
“I must show gratitude because I’ve heard so much about your activities, when your government singlehandedly sponsored the development and training of our ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) centre here in Rivers State.
“We have it on record, your numerous activities of assistance to the command and to the mobile police force.
“I can also see what I have seen on the road yesterday, the new patrol vehicles here and there, that is to show your demonstration of love for the police force”.
The AIG assured the Governor that the trained policemen from the ATS would be used to fight kidnapping and other vices in the state.
In his response, Amaechi thanked the AIG and his team for their visit, but appealed to the police to stick to their duties of protecting lives and property in the state and not get involved in politics.
“We should not play politics with security” he said and affirmed that he swore to an oath, just like the President to protect lives and property and that the state was beginning to witness a security challenge.
“I want you to kindly convey to the Police Command that we are beginning to have security challenges in Rivers State and we should not forget that you may play politics with every other thing but one place you don’t play politics with is the security of the lives of our people who elected us to offices and it will not be to the interest of Rivers people if we go back to the era of 2005, 2006 and early 2007,” Amaechi said.
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