By Tina Chinyere – Portharcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed allegations that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Special Area, Rumudomaya (Rumuokoro Police Station), is fraternizing with an alleged land grabber Stephen Onyegwa.
The clarification follows accusations by two landlords of Ceedarwood Estate along SARS Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Chinedu Igweze and Gbenga Oladapo, who led a protest on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, claiming that the DPO was conniving with Onyegwa to take over their properties.
Reacting to the allegation, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the police only responded to a distress call about a protest in the estate on Monday, which had the potential to cause a breach of peace.
According to her, the DPO promptly dispatched officers to the scene to assess the situation, after which the parties involved were invited to his office for clarification. Upon hearing from both sides, the DPO determined that the matter was a civil property dispute and therefore outside the purview of police intervention.
“On the strength of his findings, the DPO made it clear to the parties that the police do not interfere in civil matters such as land disputes. He further advised the parties to maintain peace and seek redress in court if aggrieved,” SP Iringe-Koko stated.
She emphasized that neither the DPO nor any officer of the Command is involved in land grabbing, directly or by proxy, in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for officers to refrain from engaging in civil disputes.
SP Iringe-Koko reaffirmed the commitment of the Rivers State Police Command, under Commissioner of Police CP Olugbenga Adepoju, to maintain professionalism, neutrality, and fairness in the discharge of its duties.
