Rivers Crisis: We’ll Correct Our Mistakes, AIG Tells Amaechi

THE police may have erred in dealing with the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis, the leadership admitted yesterday.

Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 6 Jonathan Johnson made the acknowledgement when he led a delegation of senior officers in the zone on a courtesy visit to Governor Rotimi Amaechi at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He directed that police orderlies withdrawn from some top government officials be restored.

AIG Johnson, who pledged better policing in the state, promised to correct his men’s mistakes.

According to him, he has directed Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu to guard against security breaches.

He said: “So, we will take note of all these mistakes and we will correct them. I am assuring you, we will correct them. If there are lapses noticed, let us know so that we can make amends.

“And I also want to thank you (Amaechi) for all you have done for us and the others that you are going to do. We shall continue to appreciate because you know requests from the police will never stop coming.

“Every human being that has served or is going to serve (the Nigeria Police Force) is sometimes susceptible to some errors here and there and when that comes to the forefront, it is incumbent on that very particular person to say we shall amend.

“I know when these issues of withdrawal of security from some staff officers of yours came, there were agitations here and there.”

Johnson said he had also instructed the police commissioner (who was in his entourage) to replace the orderlies from the Anti-Terrorism Squad withdrawn from some state government officials with policemen from the Special Protection Unit.

He praised Amaechi for showing understanding.

Johnson said: “We have always been at the wrong side of history because of one thing or the other, but you (Amaechi) show understanding in our mistakes, you show understanding in our service and that is why you’ve provided all these things. We remain grateful to you on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police. We say a big thank you.”

He lauded the governor for being police-friendly and for kitting policemen in the State Police Command.