Adelani Adepegba, Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed allegation by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris planned to kill him .
It described the allegation as malicious , saying it was capable of misleading and causing disaffection between the NPF and the people of Rivers State , the police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said in a statement on Sunday.
Wike had in an interview said the IG had instructed the state Commissioner of Police to kill him, but the police disclosed that the governor was being guarded by 221 policemen.
Moshood stressed that the governor had more policemen than some police area commands in some states and also faulted claims by Wike that nine Commissioners of Police had served in the state since the IG assumed office , hinting that only three CPs had served there.
He said, “ There was no time either recently or in the past that the Inspector- General of Police gave an order or assignment to the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State or any police officer anywhere in the country to kill Mr . Nyesom Wike , the Executive Governor of Rivers State or directs the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State to cage the governor as alleged.
“ It is incumbent on the Nigeria Police Force to educate the general public and draw the attention of the governor to the facts and figures available for press and members of the public to verify, that there are 221 police personnel attached currently to Governor Nyesom Wike for his personal and office protection . ”
According to the police, the personnel attached to Wike included one Aide – De- Camp , one Chief Security Officer , one Unit Commander ( Special Protection Unit ) ; one Unit Commander ( Counter Terrorism Unit ) and one Escort Commander.
Others are one Camp Commander; one Admin officer to administer the police personnel, 54 Inspectors, 136 Sergeants and 24 Corporals.
The police spokesman explained that 28,000 policemen and personnel of other security agencies were deployed in Rivers State in December last year for the rerun election.