Rivers LGA crisis: IGP misinformed, says Commissioner

Joe Johnson, Rivers State Commissioner for Information, has said the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was misinformed about the local government crisis in the state.

Johnson stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, on Tuesday.

The police  have shut down some local government secretariats amid the disagreement between departing local government chairmen and newly appointed caretaker commitee chairmen.

Weighing in on the issue, Johnson said, “The two judgements have been consolidated. Justice Kio’s judgment has not been tasted. That judgement came on May 22. Before the court of appeal are two appeals. One, Right Hournable Oko-Jumbo. The other one is by the departing speaker and it said maintain the status quo.

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“The status quo in this sense has nothing to do with Justice Kio’s judgement. I think the IGP must have been misinformed to say that they are waiting for the judgment of the court. No judgment is coming. The one in June is for continued hearing.”

However, the police in the state declared Ex-Militant Leader ‘General Asabuja’ Wanted.

Speaking on the programme, the Rivers State Commissioner for Police, Tunji Disu, said that the video General Asabuja posted on social media caused panic in some areas of the state.

Asabuja made some inciting comments in the video in relation to the local government council crisis in the state.

Disu said, “The video caused a lot of panic in the state. It gives a lot of concern to everybody even out of the state.

“I assure you that we are not going to take it lightly. We have put actions in motion. We would get him at the appropriate time. We have gotten a lot of people of his kind.

“You cannot prepare a video and start firing and threatening people not to move around and do what they are expected to do in town and expect the police will fold their hands. We are working towards it.

“We have invited him and he does not want to come but we will do what we want to do. We are looking out for him.”