Renowned environmentalist and human rights advocate Ann-Kio Briggs has strongly criticized the Nigeria Police Force for failing to protect the people of Rivers State in the wake of escalating violence following the state’s recent local government elections.
Briggs voiced her concerns during an interview on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Monday, calling attention to the police’s refusal to enforce law and order after the election of 23 new local government chairmen in the state. She warned that the selective enforcement of court orders by the police has contributed to the rising instability and could have severe consequences.
“The police’s actions—or rather, inactions—are putting the people of Rivers State at serious risk,” said Briggs. She specifically criticized the withdrawal of police officers from local council secretariats, which occurred despite Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s warnings of potential unrest. Fubara had earlier cautioned that some disgruntled political figures, unhappy with the election results, were plotting to incite violence.
Briggs also pointed out that tensions have been building for months, stating, “We’ve been crying out since last October, when this political madness began. It’s like the witch cried in the night, and the child died in the morning, and now people are asking why the child died? We know exactly what’s happening.”
She highlighted that certain local governments refusing to accept the expiration of their chairmen’s tenure are at the center of the violence. According to Briggs, these same local governments have been critical of Governor Fubara since last year.
“For the past three months, the police have kept the 23 local government offices under lock and key after the chairmen’s tenures expired,” Briggs explained. “But this morning, all of them were ordered to leave, even though it was clear there would be trouble, leaving the newly elected chairmen vulnerable and in danger.”
Briggs also expressed frustration over the lack of intervention from President Bola Tinubu, who, she claimed, had been called upon for over a year to address the situation in Rivers State. She noted that the President only acted after violence erupted, leaving local governments in flames.
“Now, the President is calling on the governor of Rivers State, and perhaps others, to ensure safety, but the responsibility falls on the police. They are supposed to keep the state secure. This failure is dangerous and unacceptable for the people of Rivers State,” Briggs concluded.
Conclusion
Ann-Kio Briggs’ sharp rebuke of the Nigeria Police highlights the growing frustration among activists and citizens in Rivers State.
