The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered command Commissioners of Police across the federation and their supervisory Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to strengthen security nationwide.
He directed them to initiate and implement well-coordinated crime prevention strategies and ensure round-the-clock visibility patrol towards peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.
The IGP in a statement on Friday, by the force spokesman, Frank Mba, noted that achieving a crime and crisis-free Yuletide was of utmost priority to the force and the nation.
He further noted that the AIGs and CPs had been directed to massively deploy human, intelligence and other operational assets at their disposal to all public places including residential areas, places of worship, recreational centres, financial institutions, market places, motor parks, major highways, airports, railway stations, amongst others, to protect the citizens and critical national infrastructure.
The statement titled, ‘2021 Christmas and New Year celebrations: IGP orders round-the-clock visibility patrol,’ said, “In addition, the IGP has warned police personnel deployed for duties during the Yuletide season, particularly those deployed to secure the highways across the country, to desist from acts inimical to discipline and professionalism.
“The IGP equally enjoined citizens to cooperate with officers deployed for the assignments, especially by being law-abiding, noting that the force remains sensitive to issues of rights violations, illegitimate use of force and has since deployed the Monitoring Unit, the X-Squad, and the Force Provost Unit on joint operation nationwide with a view to monitoring conducts of officers as citizens transit in and around the country during the festive season and holidays.”
While congratulating Christians in the country on the occasion of the celebration of the birth of Christ, the IG thanked all Nigerians for supporting the police and the security community in the fight against crimes and criminality.
He enjoined citizens to go about the celebration “in the spirit of love, sacrifice and to take protective measures to reduce exposure to security risks and the new wave of the COVID-19 variant.”
He further encouraged the citizens to keep the police emergency phone numbers handy or contact the nearest police station in the event of any situation that may pose threats to public peace, safety and security.
