…Says, New order is to prevent crimes, criminality during Yuletide
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Barely 24, hours after Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, ordered operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), not to operate on the nation’s highways and roads, he has reversed the order and directed that stop-and-search operations be resumed.
Idris, who gave the new order yesterday night, said the directive was intended to prevent crimes and criminality throughout the Christmas and New Year festivals as some criminals may want to seize the opportunity of the earlier announced stoppage of stop-and-search operations to perpetrate evil acts.
He said to ensure a free flow of traffic and ease movement of travelers, the stop and search operations would not be located at areas susceptible to traffic gridlock or vehicular hold-ups, adding that traffic police personnel would be deployed to such points and sections to manage traffic and carry out police observation duties. The IGP, who gave the order in a statement, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, said the IGP further directed all state Commissioners of Police to supervise their personnel deployed on the operation to ensure that their locations were not turned into roadblocks, as the total ban on all forms of road blocks is still in force. Idris, while soliciting the cooperation of travelers and other road users, urged them to report any roadblock seen mounted anywhere in the country to the IGP X-Squad by calling any of these telephone numbers 09026900729, 08078662130, 08174041000. Equally, text messages could be sent to 0903227 8905 while Whatsapp messages should be sent to 09035621377.
The statement further said: “The Police Federal Highway Patrol Teams, Safer Highway and Divisional Patrol Teams and other Police Special Squads deployed for the Stop-and-Search operations are under strict instructions to be polite, civil but firm in ensuring security and safety of travellers and other road users on all the highways and major roads across the nation. “The Inspector General of Police, therefore, calls on all Nigerians especially travellers and other road users to cooperate with personnel of the Force deployed in their localities as they carry out their duties of ensuring safety of lives and property all Nigerians.”