Wike Threatens To Replace Police With Vigilante In Rivers 

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to replace the Nigeria Police with men of the vigilante group across the state.

The governor stated this on Wednesday during the governorship campaign in the state.

Wike accused the Rivers police of pandering to some politicians, warning that the state-owned Neighbourhood Watch could be deployed to replace them if things do not change.

The governor said, “Rivers State Police command, you are the one supporting them to disobey the law. Police, If you don’t want to do your duty, let us know, I will release our neighbourhood watch. 

“If you don’t do your work, we will take over your work from you.”

The state assembly had enacted Executive Order 22, which prescribes that “any political party, association or body of persons, however, called or described that wishes to use any premises, building or structure situated in a residential area in any urban area of Rivers State as campaign office must obtain permission from the Rivers State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning.” 

The governor has on several occasions complained that some politicians have been flouting the law, with active connivance of the police.

In reading the riot act on Wednesday, Wike warned the police that, “You cannot support people who are breaking the law.

“You know the truth of the matter; you are scared so that they don’t transfer you. Your duty is not to be permanent anywhere.

“As long as you are a security man, you can be sent anywhere, anyday.

“All this one you are playing, you are neither here nor there, it would not save you,” the governor said.

He advised the police to, “Do your work. Nobody should intimidate you.  The people crying; they forgot how they were using the military, pursuing us, when the military came here to carry the ballot paper.

“They forget how the military took over all collation centers to take away the materials if not because she stood firm.

“Tell them not to push us to the wall. If you don’t want to obey the law you face the consequences of it,” Wike added.

He stressed that, “This fight we are fighting is like guerrilla warfare. The more you look, the less you see.”

Speaking against the backdrop of questions being raised as to when his group, the G-5, would announce the presidential candidate they  would support, he said, “I never told anybody one day I would bring a camera and announce to you this is who you would vote for.

“I said I would tell Rivers people the candidate they will support. I did not tell you the method of saying it. I did not tell you during life coverage I would say it,” he added.

THE WHISTLER reports that Wike who led the formation of the G-5 had said the group would announce in January which of the presidential candidates they would support.

The group has been demanding that the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, must resign for compromising the result of the Party’s presidential primary election in May 2022 and for coming from the same political region with Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate.

They have boycotted the presidential campaign of the party following Ayu’s continuous stay in office.