Rivers Police protests over demolition of illegal structures in Baracks

By Timi Black
Chief Correspondent

Suspected Nigeria policemen, including officers have stormed the streets of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in protest over the alleged demolition of their residents in Miniokoro police barracks in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

The protesting policemen who were spotted in uniform on Wednesday in the state, said they were forcefully evicted from their residents.

A victim of the incident who pleaded anonymity narrated that the decision was not proper, adding that the affected persons were not notified before the action.

The affected policeman added: “It came to us as a shock. We were in our houses this morning when we saw bulldozer bringing our houses down.

“We were not informed of the action. It will affect our job. Our families are displaced already. It will affect us. We are calling on the management and the Inspector General of Police to help us save the situation.”

The spokesperson of the command, DSP. Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the development said the police were in the move to retrieve their property from illegal occupants.

Koko noted: “The command is aware of the demolition exercise. Those people are illegal occupants they do not have their C of O. If they have they should come and prove that they have.

“That land belongs to the Nigeria Police and police is destroying shanties and illegal structures in the Barracks.

“The police management agreed on the action because there are some persons in the Barracks that are of questionable characters, so they decided to demolish shanties and illegal structures in the Barracks. It is internal restructuring that is going within the police.”