The Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, has said the police will not spare criminals hiding under the guise of agitation to attack citizens.
Baba stated that agitators were perpetrating criminalities in Anambra State and the entire South-East by attacking police officers and other public facilities in the name of calling for a separate state.
He stated this in Amawbia, near Awka, Anambra State, during the inauguration of an ultra-modern divisional police station, attached to a police barracks for senior police officers.
He said police would no longer allow criminals to keep operating in any state in the South-East, adding that there were better ways to agitate than involve in criminality.
The police chief added that the new divisional police station was an initiative to provide security officers with a conducive working environment to enable them put in their very best.
He said the security officers would use the resources available to make people understand that they must cohabit and function effectively and efficiently.
He said, “Secessionist idea will not continue like this. There are better ways to agitate, and government will not be intimidated by these people. This is criminality, and the agitation for Biafra is just a smokescreen for criminality.
“Vigilante operatives are key in our crime fighting. The vigilante operatives have done well, without them we will not succeed. We urge communities to support their vigilante. Security is everybody’s business, security is not keeping quiet when you see what is going wrong, or what you should do.
“We are behind you (the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State) to ensure that there is law and order in Anambra. The governor is security friendly, and has always assisted us.
“With the challenges of 2023, we shall provide level playing ground and the environment shall be created for all politicians to exercise their franchise.
“This is one of the projects we have put in place for our officers to have a great place to work and retire into. We need more edifices like this to be able to provide our men with the good environment to work.
“It will provide service for people around here and we will replicate this in other places to ensure that we give our officers the best and in the spirit of federal character, we will continue to do this in places that we can. We have one in Enugu too, which we will commission today.
“We have been making efforts to add value to improve the welfare of our officers. I am here to commission some structures by the Nigerian police. The challenges in the South-East seems unsurmountable, but we will surmount them.”
The state Police Commissioner, CP Echeng Echeng, in his remarks, described the new structure as a milestone in the repositioning of police force for better delivery.
He stated that for 10 months now, Anambra had been largely peaceful despite the actions of criminals masquerading as separatists.
He appealed to the IGP for the mobilisation of armoured tank to the state to help stabilise the successes that have so far been achieved.
“We are poised to ensure a peaceful Yuletide in the state, and the need for more logistics support cannot be over emphasised,” Echeng maintained.
The police boss also paid a courtesy visit to the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, where the governor solicited for an increased in support for the Nigerian Police to confront its dearth of resources challenge.
Soludo particularly appreciated the Nigeria Police Force for their roles in spite of all the challenges, saying that the police had been top notch in terms of their responsibilities, together with the other security agencies in the state.
“You are welcome to Anambra. I want to use this opportunity to appreciate you and the NPF and security agencies in Nigeria for the great job you have been doing under very difficult circumstances.
“I know a little bit of the challenges of the NPF in Nigeria. In my position as CBN Governor, I had the privilege to sit in some meetings, where people variously continued to criticize the police. On one of such occasions, I asked a fundamental question, “the police should work with what resources?,” Soludo added.
IGP Baba was accompanied on the courtesy visit by the AIG of Police in charge of Zone 13, Ukpo; Mr. Abutu Yaro, Anambra State Police Commissioner; Echeng Echeng, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Ammani, service Commanders in the State, among others.
