The Rivers State Police Command said it has taken over the 23 local government councils in the state as well as some critical infrastructure in the oil and gas-rich state.

The police said the action was to forestall further bloodbath as well as a breakdown of law and order due to the spread of the crisis over the tenure of the outgoing local government chairmen.

The spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday night.

Iringe-Koko also confirmed the killing of a policeman and a member of a local vigilante outfit.

The statement reads, “Following the breakdown of law and order in the various Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State where supporters of the two Political factions clashed over the tenure of Local Government Council Chairmen, a case of death was recorded at Eberi-Omuma, Omuma LGA, where a Police officer and a vigilante were killed.

“To forestall more bloodshed and prevent a further breakdown of law and order, the Police have taken over all the 23 Council Secretariats and some critical government infrastructure in the state.

“Conventional police officers and anti-riot police officers have been deployed to these facilities.”

The Naira appreciated marginally to N1480 against the dollar at the parallel foreign exchange market, also known as the black market, amid the Sallah holidays.

Dayyabu Ashiru, a bureau de change operator at Wuse Zone 4 in Abuja, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday.

He noted that demand for foreign exchange had remained flat due to the Eid-el-Kabir holiday.

According to him, the Naira was exchanged at N1,480 against the dollar on Tuesday compared between N1,490 to N1500 it was traded last Friday before the holiday.

“We buy at N1,460 against the dollar and sell at N1,480. This is an appreciation compared to the N1,490 to N1,500 it traded last week Friday. I think demand for FX dropped due to the Sallah celebration,” he said.

The development comes as the Nigeria government declared Monday and Tuesday public holidays to mark the Sallah celebration.

Consequently, official FX trading is expected to resume on Wednesday.

Last week Friday, FMDQ data showed that the Naira closed at N1482.72 against the dollar at the official market.

The continued fluctuations of the Naira in the FX market had been a source of concern to financial experts.

Director of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, said the fluctuation of the Naira against the dollar is a contributing factor to Nigeria’s soaring inflation, which rose to 33.95 per cent in May 2024.

Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has approved funds for the rehabilitation of old Lokoja water works, which have been submerged since the 2022 flood disaster.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Yahaya  Farouk, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday in Lokoja, the state capital.

Farouk explained that the plant is intended to supply water to some areas of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, pending the completion of repairs at the Greater Lokoja Water Works, which was damaged by floods in 2012.

According to the Commissioner, the State government is taking pragmatic steps to replace equipment submerged at the Greater Lokoja Water Works, though this will take at least 12 months to complete.

He emphasized the administration’s commitment to addressing the water scarcity, appealing to residents for patience, while assuring them that efforts were being made to resolve the issue.

“Before Friday, contractors will resume work for the rehabilitation of old Lokoja water works. It has been approved and cashed back by the Governor of Kogi State. Within the shortest possible time, water supply will return to Lokoja metropolis,” he stated.

Farouk debunked reports making the rounds that the reservoir for old Lokoja water works has been sold out.

According to him, “This is not true and should be disregarded by the general public. This is the handwork of mischief makers who keep spreading fake news just to discredit the government efforts at restoring water to Lokoja metropolis”.

The Commissioner seized the opportunity to intimate journalists about the arrest of some suspects who vandalised armoured cables for greater Lokoja Waterworks in Ganaja Village.

His words, “I am convinced that it was an internal problem. We wrote to the State Police Command, and arrests were made concerning some suspects who went to vandalise armoured cables meant for greater Lokoja water works.  The private security agencies were engaged and later sent a report that some people had owned up that the armoured cables were sold to someone in Ganaja.

“We have tank A, which is supposed to serve supply to tank B have also been vandalised. We will arrest all of them no matter their hiding place. Any person who vandalises public infrastructure that is expected to serve the people will not go unpunished.

“I want to use this opportunity to emphasise community ownership of our installation across the State.  I must commend Ayegunle Gbede a community in Kogi East that has been protecting our infrastructure in their locality. There were parts of our water equipment that were auctioned about five years ago.

“The auctioneers could not come close because the community stood their ground, insisting that they must see the Ministry of Water Resources before anything could be done. This is what we want and should be replicated across the board. We must stand our ground to stop the vandalisation of our critical infrastructure in Kogi State.”

He maintained that the procurement process of greater Lokoja water works is about 80 per cent, stressing that the government has almost concluded plans with the contractors to bring the plant back to shape.

He commended the robust relationship between the government and working journalists in the State, adding that this has brought about rapid development and good governance for the people of Kogi State.