The Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed reports claiming that Governor Umo Eno ordered the withdrawal of security personnel assigned to his predecessor, former Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Addressing journalists at the Government House in Uyo, the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, described the reports as “false, misleading, and baseless.”
According to Umanah, the deployment or reassignment of police officers is strictly the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force, not any state governor.
“The deployment, reassignment, or withdrawal of police officers is the exclusive responsibility of the Inspector-General of Police and the State Commissioner of Police,” he stated. “Governor Umo Eno did not, at any time, issue any directive to withdraw security operatives from the immediate past governor.”
The commissioner further clarified that all former governors in the state continue to retain their lawful security details, adding that there has been no official complaint or concern raised by any of them or their aides regarding the matter.
“To the best of our knowledge, no former governor has reported a withdrawal of their security personnel. This rumour exists only in the imagination of those spreading it,” Umanah added.
He urged the public to disregard what he termed “baseless propaganda,” emphasizing that Governor Eno remains focused on maintaining peace, unity, and good governance across the state.
Although Emmanuel was instrumental in Eno’s emergence as governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections—and is widely seen as his political mentor—their relationship is believed to have become strained in recent months amid reports of Eno’s alleged defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
