The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered all commands of the Nigeria Police to mount an intensive round-the-clock surveillance of all public spaces and critical national assets.
Adamu specifically directed all state Commissioners of Police and their supervising Assistant Inspectors-General of Police to deploy adequate personnel – both covert and overt operatives – to areas of security interest within their respective areas of responsibility.
The directives were contained in his congratulatory message to Christians on the Easter celebration, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CP Frank Mba.
The Inspector-General also told Commissioners of Police to ensure proactive and high visibility patrols are carried out along the highways, motor parks, train stations, airports, worship centres, banks and other financial institutions – all geared towards providing a peaceful, crime-free and enabling environment for religious, cultural and other socio-economic activities to thrive.
Mba said in the statement: “Commissioners of Police and their supervising AIGs have been directed to ensure proper supervision of the men assigned for these assignments. They must be professional and courteous to law-abiding citizens but firm and ruthless to criminals.
“To this effect, the IGP Monitoring Unit and X-Squad have been given marching orders to monitor and police activities of police officers policing the highways to ensure respect for the rights of citizens and operational conformity with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Rules of Engagement (RoE) of the Force.”
The police chief, while felicitating Nigerians, and the Christian community in particular, on the commemoration of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, called on citizens to continue to cooperate with the Nigeria Police and other security agencies by providing timely information that would help in the prevention and detection of crime.