The Inspector General Of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Bartholomew Onyeka, to seal off all the 17 Secretariats in the State following the tensions around the leadership of the Local Government.
Recall that Governor Mufwang had on June 1 suspended the Chairmen in the State’s 17 local Governments for their inability to produce documents related to financial transactions and all efforts to make them to produce the documents proved abortive.
The interim Transition Committee Chairman was subsequently sworn in to monitor the LGs, but the Chairmen rebelled and said the Governor lacked the authority to suspend them.
They insisted on keeping up their roles as Chairmen of their various LGAs, which led to a situation on Wednesday that almost caused law and order to collapse.
The State Police Command’s spokeswoman, DSP Alabo Alfred, said in a statement on Thursday that the IG had instructed Bartholomew Onyeka, the State Commissioner of Police, to close all 17 Secretariats.
“It has become necessary as a result of tensions around the leadership of the Local Government Areas, and the possible threat that supporters and Local Government Chairmen are posing to critical infrastructure, lives and properties in the State.
“The decision to take this action is in accordance with the exercise of our constitutional responsibility as the Nigeria Police Force, to ensure that the above doesn’t hold sway on the Plateau.
“To this end, the Nigeria Police Force on the Plateau cannot sit down and watch things go wrong under our watch, hence the need to make this critical decision of sealing up the Local Government secretariats.”
The Command therefore warns that it will not take it lightly with anyone who tries to disrupt the process or causes any confusion around the Local Government Secretariats, as he will ensure that the law takes it’s full course on such persons.
