Residents Call Out IGP, Accused Police Of Attacking Women, Children At Health Centre In Rivers

The Inspector General Police, Kayode Egbetokun has been called upon to rein in some police officers and men of the Rivers State Police Command who are alleged to have disrupted the flag off of a medical outreach.

The incident was said to have happened at Eliozu, Health Centre in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Chijioke Ihunwo, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Obio-Akpor local Government Area who made the call while addressing some Journalists accused the police of bias in political crisis in State.

He alleged that a prominent politician in the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Abuja, accompanied by some police men had stormed the venue of the flag off of medical outreach programme organised by Rivers State Ministry of Health and started deploying tear gas.

Ihunwo, in a six-minute viral video wondered why the police could be used to attack pregnant women and children whose only offence was that they went to avail themselves medical checkup.

He also alleged that political opponents who are against the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara had resorted to the use of the police to harass those loyal to the Governor.

The CTC Chairman pointed out that for over a month police men hadoccupied all the 23 local government Secretariats, on the orders of the Inspector General of Police without resistance because the Governor directed there should not be any resistance or violence.

In the reaction of the Rivers State Police Command through its Spokesperson SP Grace Iringe-Koko “A distress call was received from the health centre in the Eliozu community today, 24th July 2024, where supporters of two separate political factions were engaged in a fight.

“The police responded by sending operatives to the scene to restore law and order. The police deployed anti-riot tactics, including the use of canisters, to disperse the crowds.

An investigation into the matter has been initiated”, the police said.