Owing to growing criticism from the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) against the proposed Neighborhood Safety Watch Bill which was passed by the State House of Assembly, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has said that only the court can stop the bill from being passed into law.
The Governor said that there are plots by some opposition politicians to set up illegal vigilant groups that will clash with the State Neighbourhood Watch and pave the way for the police to ban the new security outfit.
He however, maintained that such political plots will fail as the State Neighbourhood Watch has come to stay.
Governor Wike stated this during a Courtesy Visit by Usman Abubakar, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6 Calabar at the Government House Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Governor Wike maintained that the Neighbourhood Watch is strictly a security organization that will support security agencies with intelligence to promote the security of the state.
He said that the Neighbourhood Watch is fashioned in line with the operations of a similar agency set up in Lagos State to support security agencies.
“In setting up the State Neighbourhood Watch, we adopted the process established in Lagos State. This is a replica of what is already in existence in Lagos State .
“We are setting up the State Neighbourhood Watch for intelligence gathering. Policemen and other security agencies cannot be everywhere. They need the relevant support to maintain security across the state ” he said!
He equally stated that the State Government has acquired six gunboats for the State Police Command to help it fight criminals along the waterway.
The Governor who warned against the politicization of security operations, maintained that such actions will be detrimental to the stability of the country.
He reiterated his advice to INEC and the Police to work towards the successful conduct of the 2019 General Election. He said that the police should not be used to indiscriminately arrest opponents of the ruling party ahead of the elections.
In his remarks, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 6 Calabar, Usman Abubakar, said that the Zone 6 Police Command is fashioning out ways to reduce cultism, kidnapping and violent crime in the area.
He appealed to stakeholders to work with the Police to reduce crime ahead of the 2019 General Election.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police called on all groups to come to a round table to work for peace as the police will not tolerate lawlessness.
