Rivers
Police Raise Alarm Over Rise In Officers’ Impersonation
The Rivers State Police Command has raised the alarm over a disturbing rise in criminal activities involving individuals impersonating police officers and extorting members of the public across the state.
The Command described the trend as a serious threat to public safety and trust, urging residents to remain vigilant and security-conscious at all times.
In a press release by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, in Port Harcourt, the Police said the suspects allegedly operate by dressing in black outfits and posing as law enforcement officers while setting up illegal checkpoints to harass and intimidate unsuspecting citizens.
According to the release, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, also expressed concern over the development and assured the public that decisive steps have been taken to curb the menace.
He said a robust monitoring and intelligence mechanism has been activated to identify, apprehend and prosecute those behind the criminal acts.
Police authorities noted that the actions of these impostors not only amount to extortion and impersonation, but also undermine the credibility of legitimate security operations within the state.
The Command warned that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law.
The statement further clarified that no police officer or security agent has the legal authority to stop citizens on the road or at checkpoints to search their mobile phones, laptops or other personal electronic devices.
Such actions, the Police said, are unlawful and should be resisted through proper reporting channels.
Residents were also cautioned against complying with demands to accompany any individual to a Point of Sale (POS) operator, bank or other financial outlet for the purpose of withdrawing or transferring money, as this is a common tactic employed by the criminals.
The Police Command also called on members of the public to be alert and to take note of their surroundings, especially when confronted by suspicious persons or hostile checkpoints that do not follow established policing procedures.
To strengthen community participation in tackling the problem, the Command provided several emergency contact numbers for immediate reporting of suspicious activities.
The numbers include the Complaint Response Unit hotlines: 07057605256, 08120822987 and 09035774814.
Additional contact lines include the Police Public Relations Officer on 09014273818 and the Command’s Control Room on 08032003514, all of which are available for prompt response to distress calls.
Security analysts have observed that impersonation of law enforcement officers has become a recurring challenge in urban centres, often thriving where public awareness is low.
They stress that timely reporting by citizens is critical in dismantling such criminal networks.
The State Police Command reassured residents of its unwavering commitment to maintaining law and order and protecting lives and property across the state.
It also appealed to the public to continue supporting legitimate police operations with credible information.
The statement further emphasized that cooperation between the Police and the public remains essential to ensuring a safe and secure Rivers State.
By: King Onunwor
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Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.
The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.
The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.
Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.
He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.
According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.
Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.
Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.
Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.
He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.
A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.
Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.
He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.
In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.
Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.
By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick
The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.
She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.
She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.
According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.
“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.
The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.
She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.
Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.
“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.
While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.
She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.
As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.
The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.
He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.
Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.
He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.
“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.
“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.
“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.
Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18, would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.
He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.
He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.
Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.
Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.
Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso