Nigerian police on red alert to deal with clashes
Sunday July 08 2018
The Nigerian police have been placed on red alert to curtail deadly clashes.
The security agents are under instructions to pay special attention to places of worship, schools, markets, recreation venues and other public spaces.
Police spokesman Jimoh Moshood said on Sunday that the directive was to enable all security formations to prevent crime.
“This directive from the IG (Inspector-General of Police) is consequent on the recent attack and killing of seven policemen at Galadimawa Roundabout in Abuja on July 2 by armed robbers and bandits,” he said.
The police are to intensify the ongoing raids of criminal hideouts and black spots throughout the 36 states and Abuja.
Show of force
Mr Moshood said all the units have also been directed to embark on a show of force and confidence-building patrols.
Nigeria has in the recent months experienced a rise in deadly clashes, including the June 25 killing of 100 people in the north central Plateau State in ethnic violence.
The police spokesman appealed to the public to cooperate with the security agents in their localities.
The renewed commitment of the force to sustain the fight against crime remained unequivocal and unwavering, Mr Moshood said.
“The team will also engage in continuous raids of identified criminal hideouts and black spots, with a view to arresting promptly those responsible for the killings prevent any further attack, attempt to attack or cause any form of violence that can lead to killings and other criminalities in the affected areas.’’
Their weapons
Meanwhile, the Plateau police boss, Mr Undie Adie, has been replaced with Mr Bala Ciroma.
In another development, three suspects linked to the killings in 11 villages in Plateau have been arrested and paraded by the military with their weapons.
Two of the suspects are herdsmen and one a Berom– one of the minority ethnic groups in Plateau — currently at odds with the Fulani herdsmen over grazing rights.
They were arrested by the Special Military Task Force, “Operation Save Haven’’ which paraded them on Wednesday in Jos alongside 14 others, who were seized over the killings.
The three men were captured at Gashish District in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau.
Military spokesman Umar Adams said the suspects were in possession of sophisticated riffles at the time of their arrest.