Tensions Rise as Eleme Local Government Secretariat Set Ablaze Amid Unsealing of Secretariats in Rivers State
ELEME/Nigeria: A section of the Eleme Local Government Area secretariat in Rivers State has been set on fire, following the conclusion of local government elections on Saturday, 5th October 2024.
The arson occurred just as Brain Gokpa, the newly elected chairman, arrived at the secretariat with his councillors and supporters. According to eyewitnesses, the attackers targeted specific buildings within the complex, causing significant damage. The motivations behind the attack remain unclear.
This incident comes on the heels of a major decision by the Rivers State Police Command to unseal all local government secretariats across the state, allowing newly elected chairmen to assume their offices. The secretariats had been sealed since June amid a political struggle between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former political mentor, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The secretariats had remained closed as part of a power tussle, forcing caretaker chairmen appointed by Fubara to operate from alternative locations. However, following last weekend’s elections, which were conducted despite Wike’s efforts to prevent them, the newly elected chairmen were sworn into office by Governor Fubara on Sunday.
In a statement released earlier today, the Rivers State Police Command confirmed the decision to unseal the secretariats. The newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha, conveyed the directives of Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, which called for the withdrawal of police personnel stationed at the secretariats.
“In view of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the Inspector General of Police has ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel deployed to secure the Local Government Secretariats,” the statement read. The directive, aimed at ensuring neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions, also stressed that the police would only return to the secretariats in the event of a security threat.
The police assured the public of their readiness to maintain peace and order across the state, urging residents to remain calm. However, with the Eleme secretariat now in ruins, concerns over the stability of the political environment in Rivers State persist, as the state grapples with the aftermath of a deeply divided political landscape.
The arson attack raises fresh questions about the security of other local government secretariats as the newly elected officials begin to assume office.
