By Abraham Ovuoba
Date: September 18, 2026
The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, CP Hope Okafor, has warned the newly inaugurated chairmen of the 13 Local Government Areas against inflammatory and inciting statements capable of heightening political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okafor gave the warning on Friday at a strategic security meeting with the newly sworn-in council chairmen, where she charged them to strengthen collaboration with the police and other security agencies to sustain peace and security across the state.
The commissioner, who congratulated the chairmen on their assumption of office, said effective grassroots security required a strong partnership between local government authorities, traditional institutions, communities and security agencies.
She urged the council bosses to remain accessible to their people by regularly visiting communities, interacting with residents and identifying emerging security threats before they escalate into crises.
Okafor specifically charged the chairmen to support their respective Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), while directing that all vigilante groups operating within the 13 local government areas be properly profiled by the police.
She said the profiling was necessary to ensure effective coordination, accountability and compliance with the law, stressing that community-based security arrangements must operate within the framework of the law.
The police commissioner also turned her attention to the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 elections, warning the council chairmen to avoid inflammatory, hateful and provocative statements capable of heating up the polity.
She equally urged them to caution their supporters against utterances and actions that could threaten public peace, insisting that the command would not tolerate conduct capable of undermining security in the state.
Beyond electoral politics, Okafor called on the council chairmen to adopt dialogue and early intervention in resolving communal disputes, rather than allowing disagreements to degenerate into violence.
She further directed the councils to intensify public enlightenment against cultism and educate parents and young people on the tactics used by child traffickers to lure unsuspecting families.
Responding, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ebonyi State chapter, and Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area, Helen Aduga, thanked the commissioner for convening the meeting.
Aduga pledged the commitment of the 13 council chairmen to implementing the issues discussed, while appealing to the police commissioner to encourage DPOs across the state to maintain close working relationships with the council chairmen.
