Gov Fubara appeals to new CP not to attend nocturnal meetings to levy war on Rivers people

Gov Sim Fubara of Rivers State has made a sensitive appeal to the new commissioner of police in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, not to succumb to the temptation of attending what the governor called nocturnal meetings that he said can make him declare war on Rivers people.

Rather, the Governor urged him to put the general interest of the people of the State above other considerations so that he can work to ensure that peace prevailed and there is stability.

Gov Fubara gave the advice when he received Adepoju, the 47th Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, on courtesy visit, at Government House in Port Harcourt on Friday.

The governor said: “You are not a new person in our State. You’ve been here, more especially, in charge of Operations. It then means if I start to talk about my story, it’ll connect with your activities in operations. But I am not going to talk about my story.

“But the good thing here is, you said something that I want to really anchor on. Your duty, as it stands now, is to work with the government, work with other sister agencies to maintain law and order, protect lives and property of the people of Rivers State.

“Be apolitical, as you just read in your address. Don’t go to nocturnal meetings in people’s houses, and in the morning, you come and declare war on Rivers people. That is the only advice I will give to you.”

Gov Fubara charged the CP, who is already conversant with the Rivers State terrain and its associated security challenges, to draw up a holistic plan on how to tackle the twin problem of cultism among the youths and kidnapping incidences in boundary communities.

Gov Fubara said his administration is not failing on its responsibilities to security agencies to sufficiently address those issues and save Rivers people, adding, “But the primary duty of this team, these particular challenges are rested on the police. So, please, take this one as my own assignment (to you).

“While you are carrying out the larger assignment that your people from headquarters will send you, also make sure that you look for every way possible to reduce issues of cultism because it is affecting our secondary schools, it is affecting our primary schools with students growing to become monsters, which is also leading to other issues like kidnapping and others.

“It starts from somewhere. So, we must also get to the root and reduce it. I know we cannot totally eliminate it, but, somehow, let us look for a way to reduce it.”

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Gov Fubara said the former CP to the State had succeeded because he maintained healthy synergy with the State Government, and assured that the same level of support will be provided to the new CP, if he adheres to the tenets of professionalism, stressing. If you have a very bad record here, whether you like it or not, it will one day in the course of your profession, affect your growth.”

In his address, the new CP expressed profound gratitude for the opportunity given to him to serve the resilient and vibrant people of Rivers State as the 47th Commissioner of Police.

Adepoju said he is fully aware of the complex security challenges in the State, and is determined to do everything professionally to confront them with innovation.

He said, “We will strengthen our intelligence gathering capabilities, enhance our rapid response mechanism, and most importantly, foster deeper trust and collaboration with the community we serve. Our Command will remain firmly apolitical, standing as a neutral and impartial institution, dedicated solely to upholding law and order. This commitment is vital to maintaining the trust and confidence of the people we protect.”

Adepoju also said: “While we will engage constructively with political leaders and key stakeholders to secure necessary resources and support, our engagement will always be conducted with professionalism and integrity”.

Gov Fubara had for long complained of bad treatment in the hands of the police in the state and had pinned this to the Operations Unit of the police in the state. He had been water bombed at one point and had escaped shots.

Meanwhile, Gov Fubara and the State Commissioner of Police have decorated two officers in Government House with their new ranks of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).