The head of the Nigeria Police Force has ordered the immediate mobilization of the police to quell all instances of violence, looting and destruction of property across the country.
The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, gave the order to all police strategic managers, including Commissioners of Police, Heads of Police Operational Units, the Police Mobile Force and the Counter Terrorism Unit on Saturday.
In a press release, public relations officer Frnak Mba said the police were ordered to “bring an end to the wanton violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property, and reclaim the public space from criminal elements masquerading as protesters in some parts of the country.”
Protests against police brutality erupted across the country earlier this month, but degenerated into cases of riots, looting and arson in some parts of the country.
Adamu noted that “enough is enough to all acts of lawlessness” and directed police strategic managers to use “all legitimate means” to stop further cases of violence.
“The IGP, while noting that enough is enough to all acts of lawlessness, disruption of public peace and order and wanton violence which have resulted to indiscriminate looting of shops, malls and ware houses, damage to property and loss of lives in some parts of the country, further directs the Police strategic managers to personally lead and coordinate the operation and use all legitimate means, to halt further slide into lawlessness and brigandage,” the press statement read.
Adamu warned “trouble-makers not to cause any further breakdown of law and order” and called on law-abiding citizens to cooperate with the police and other members of the law enforcement community to protect their communities from more lawlessness.
Rita Osakwe
Follow us on:
