The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has denied ever plotting to kill the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
The denial comes on the heel of reports that the governor had alleged that there were plans to eliminate him based on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Ibrahim Idris.
However, speaking through the spokesman of the NPF, Jimoh Moshood, on Sunday the police authorities 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.”
Among the personnel assigned to Wike, the Police claimed, were an Aide-De-Camp, a Chief Security Officer, a Unit Commander (Special Protection Unit) ; a Unit Commander (Counter Terrorism Unit) and an Escort Commander.
Others were a Camp Commander; an Admin officer, 54 Inspectors, 136 Sergeants and 24 Corporals.
Governor Wike has had a running battle with the Federal Government, often accusing the Nigerian state of plotting to destabilize the state with an intention to declare a state of emergency. This has been denied.