Rivers police withdraws all personnel attached to Wike’s task force

The Rivers State Police Command has withdrawn all its personnel attached to the state task force on road decongestion, illegal street trading and motor parks set up by Governor Nyesom Wike.

The officers were withdrawn after the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, led other senior officers and men to visit the family of the late female police Sergeant, Lovender Elekwachi, who was shot dead on duty at Eneka in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesman of the Command, DSP Nnamdi Omoni confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen at the command’s headquarters in Moscow road Port Harcourt.

Omoni said the withdrawal will enable the Commissioner of police to adequately review the deployment before deploying any officer to such operation to avoid a repeat of what led to the untimely killing of the female police Sergeant.

All personnel who were initially deployed to enforce the congestion of road, illegal street trading and motor parks have already returned to the command.

Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers state, while addressing the immediate family of the police officer and traditional rulers in Ozuzu Clan in Etche Local Government Area of the state, disclosed that investigation has been concluded against the officer who pulled the trigger.

CP Mukan also said the officer, Bitrus Osaiah, has been dismissed from Service and will be arraigned in court without further delay.

“All lawful procedures were followed, and we have concluded our investigations. We gave him an orderly room trial, and we found him culpable and dismissed him. You know we cannot charge him to court without him being dismissed.

“The investigation was carried out by the State Criminal Investigation Department, and they have found him guilty. We have done our part so it is now left for the court to determine what happens to him,” CP Mukan said.

Tragedy occurred in Rivers State, on April 22, 2020, when a female police sergeant was shot dead by another officer.

A statement from the police spokesperson in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, identified the victim as Lovender Elekwachi, who was serving at Eneka Police Division, Port Harcourt.

She was shot while on traffic duties at the Eneka roundabout.