The Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the State Police Commissioner, Joseph Mbu, has being join forces with criminals to disrupt peace and order in the state.
But Amaechi has vowed that he will not allow inefficiency of any police commissioner posted to the state to cause criminals to take over like the situation prevalent way back in 2007.
Amaechi who noted that his administration is committed to protecting the state’s resources maintained this while speaking at the maiden edition of Rivers International Fashion Week in Port Harcourt recently.
He stated: “Mbu is mingling with criminals, but no matter the number of police commissioners they send here, we will not allow the state to be taken over by criminals”.
Amaechi added that the state would ensure that the current commissioner of police in the state does not drag the state back to 2007 scenario when crime was at its toughest ebb in Rivers.
The governor explained that the people would not allow those stealing the state’s resources to come back, adding that his administration was ready to further fight the scourge of criminality in the state.
“We have been able to fight crime in the past and we chased criminals away from the state with the support of police commissioners who came to serve in the state at that time.
“But only Mbu has refused to support us in fighting crime. Those who stole the resources of the state are trying to come back, the government with the people of the state will not allow them,” he said.
“This development had worsened the security situation in the state because those that orchestrated kidnapping, killings, rape and armed robbery in the state in 2007, are fighting hard to come back to power in the state.
He recalled that the state government was able to fight crime from 2007 with the support of several police commissioners that came to serve in the state, adding that only Mbu had gone contrary to his (Mbu) function of securing lives and property.
But the State Command has yet to react to the allegations as Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, from the governor.
It is pertinent note that Mbu had fallen out with the governor over the months as he seems to have being allegedly victimizing the governor through recent actions which the State Police Command have claimed were “orders from above”, this included the most recent when the governor was barred from accessing the state house through a shorter route.