Chairmen’s Sack: IGP Orders Closure Of All Plateau LGs’ Secretariats

Inspector-general of police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba has ordered the Plateau State commissioner of police, Bartholomew Onyeka to seal all the 17 local government secretariats of the state.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang recently approved the immediate suspension of the council chairmen whose tenure had not elapsed, a development which did not go well with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Most of the suspended APC council chairmen, however, refused to vacate their offices for the incoming PDP transition committee members thereby creating tension in the state.

But the police in a statement issued in Jos by the public relations officer DSP Alfred Alabo said this has become necessary as a result of tensions around the leadership of the councils and the possible threat that supporters and local government chairmen are posing to critical infrastructure, lives and properties in the state.

He said, “The decision to take this action is in accordance with the exercise of our constitutional responsibility as the Nigeria Police Force, to ensure that the above doesn’t hold sway on the Plateau.”

The command added that the Nigeria Police Force on the Plateau cannot sit down and watch things go wrong under our watch, hence the need to make this critical decision of sealing up the local government secretariats.

He, therefore, warned that it will not take it lightly with anyone who tries to disrupt this process or causes any confusion around the local government secretariats, as we will ensure that the law takes its full course on such persons.