Rivers Police Deny Involvement in Electoral Malpractice

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Police Command has denied any involvement in the violence and ballot snatching that led to the suspension of last Saturday’s by-election into Port Harcourt State Constituency III.

Briefing journalists monday at the headquarters of the Command in Port Harcourt, the state Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, said the “Police did not at any time collude with any political party to discredit the political process as alleged in some quarters”.

Ahmed stated that there was adequate police presence at the polling units but expressed regret that thugs invaded the process and caused mayhem which led to the suspension of the election.

He said “Information at the command’s disposal, revealed the presence of political thugs at Miles II and III who were reportedly armed and were disrupting the voting process. The police in the wake of this information immediately deployed more personnel and Armoured Personnel Carriers to safeguard the election process, lives and property which was done most professionally.

“The INEC officials who appeared to have been intimidated by the thugs were reassured by our presence. Accordingly, our counter measures against the thugs and the thuggery they exhibited, calmed the situation and the INEC officials left with some of the election materials and subsequently suspected the entire process.”

However, the CP who noted that no lives was lost in the electoral violence, said “It must be emphasised that the timely action of the police in checkmating political thugs prevented the loss of lives and destruction of properties”.

He said the command would arrest all persons fingered to have played any negative role that led to the termination and suspension of the electoral process.