The Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, has urged police personnel not to shy away from performing their constitutional responsibilities in order not to put the society in trouble.
Adamu stated this on Thursday during his official visit to the Police Command in Oyo State over the recent #EndSARS protests during which some policemen were killed and police stations burnt.
He said that the personnel should not be demoralised by the attack, adding that neglecting their constitutional duty of protecting lives and properties would let the criminals have a field day in perpetrating their evil acts.
“No amount of insult and attack should prevent you from performing your constitutional duties; we encourage you to go out and perform your duties in accordance with your training.
“You must follow the protocol and be civil in doing it; at the point of doing your job, be courageous and if anything happens in the course of doing it, we will stand by you,” Adamu said.
He further told the officers that the firearms they were carrying were not for decoration but to protect the lives and property of Nigerians and should, therefore, be used when necessary.
“When your lives are in danger and there is no other means of protecting yourself, you can use it.
“During the #EndSARS protests that eventually turned violent, you all exercised maximum restraint and professionalism in dealing with the protesters and professional and that was why we didn’t have too much violence. So we thank you for that.
“If you had used your firearms, we would have seen a different story. You have shown to the whole world how professional you are and we encourage you to be doing that,” he said.
The IGP called on Nigerians to join hands in condemning the action of the hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protests and turned it into violence.
Adamu assured the personnel that President Muhammadu Buhari and the governors of all the 36 states of the federation were behind them and that they should not be demoralized, adding that nobody would tramp on their rights.
He said that the president had approved the upgrading of salaries of the personnel and that the force had made their promotion a commitment.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, appreciated the IGP for the visit, saying that it had further boosted the morale of the personnel.
