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Be firm, ruthless IGP Alkali Baba charges policemen in South East
BY KAZIE UKO
The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Usman Alkali Baba, has charged police personnel on special operations in the South East region of Nigeria to be firm and ruthless as they go about their assignment.
Baba gave the directive Tuesday while launching a new special operational action plan code-named Operation Restore Peace (OPERATION RP) for the stabilisation of security order in the South-East geopolitical zone.
The event which took place at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, according to a statement by the Force PRO, Frank Mba, was part of efforts to return “the South-Eastern region to its historical pride of place where its people are known to be peaceful, tolerant, innovative, industrious and entrepreneurial”.
The statement quoted the IGP as saying that “the special operation has become necessary to engender all-inclusive security actions to roll-back the murderous attacks, violence, proliferation of weapons and other threats to law and order occasioned by the separatist agenda being heightened by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the South-East region”.
READ: Police arrests 5 ‘IPOB members’ over alleged killing of policeman
Said the police spokesman: “The IGP observed that activities of the group in the region have assumed an armed dimension in which important political and community leaders as well as personnel and assets of the Nigeria Police, Military and other security agencies, critical national infrastructure are being constantly targeted in clearly well-coordinated, premeditated manners. This is in addition to deepening inter-ethnic prejudice and intolerance, unjustifiable inter-ethnic violence and counter-violence, loss of lives and massive destruction of properties.
“The IGP, while appreciating the individual and collective efforts of all the South-East Governors and other critical stakeholders in the region towards supporting the Police in restoring security and strengthening national unity, assured the nation, that in the coming days the special operation will be extended to other parts of the South-East region to confront criminal elements, take the battle to their doorsteps and re-order our cherished national values in the region. The IGP further noted that the “Operation RP” will be replicated in other parts of the country, to address peculiar crimes including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, amongst others.
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“The ‘Operation’ will be carried out by operatives of the Force in collaboration with the Armed Forces, the intelligence community and other sister security agencies. The personnel deployed have been charged to be civil with the law-abiding citizens, but firm and ruthless with criminal elements operating under any guise whatsoever who may attempt to test the collective will of the people.”
Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the chief host of the event, commended the IGP Baba for initiating the special operation. He described the operation as timely, and believes it will help in rejigging and re-tooling the security architecture of the South-East. Other dignitaries at the event were the deputy governors of Abia, Ebonyi and Imo States, traditional rulers, religious leaders, amongst others.
Meanwhile, the IGP has thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the special operation and providing the support needed to fully achieve its objectives. He solicited the full support of the civil populace, particularly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth associations, market bodies, cultural associations and professionals etc, expressing his belief that with the support of all strategic stakeholders, the operation will in due course, change the current security narratives in the South-Eastern region for good.