The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of three lawyers who were filing proceedings at the election petition tribunal for the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In addition, five APC support staff working with the legal team to challenge the outcome of the March 18, 2023 governorship election were also seized early on Saturday morning at a hotel in Port Harcourt. The arrests were announced by Grace Iringe‑Koko, a spokesperson for the State Police Command, in a statement issued on Sunday morning.
According to the police, the operation began after a tip‑off reported that unknown lodgers were seen carrying packages in and out of three hotel rooms and printing what appeared to be INEC documents, including election results. A video of the activity was forwarded to the Police Commissioner. Although the informant did not disclose the identities of the lodgers or their employers, the police acted on the intelligence, obtained a search warrant, and executed it on 1 April 2023 at about 7:02 am. During the search, eight persons were arrested and several laptops, printers, and documents were recovered.
The arrested individuals and seized items were taken to the Surveillance Centre and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department. An Assistant Commissioner of Police was assigned to lead the investigation. Profiling revealed that three of those arrested were lawyers. The APC State Chairman and the party’s former governorship candidate visited the station and informed the police that the lawyers had been hired by the party to prepare papers for filing at the election tribunal. Subsequently, the NBA President and General Secretary contacted the Commissioner of Police, who assured them that the lawyers would be released after completing their statements. The three lawyers were therefore released on self‑recognition, while the other five individuals were released on reliable surety.
Because the investigating team lacked the technical expertise to verify the authenticity of the suspected fake INEC documents, the State REC was asked to send the Commission’s ICT personnel to examine and identify the materials. The Police Command stated that, once this assessment is completed, appropriate and professional action will be taken.
Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe‑Koko urged the public to continue providing useful information and to report any suspicious activity. She emphasized that the effectiveness of community policing depends on collaboration and information sharing.
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