Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim

Xmas:IG asks CPs to submit security operational guidelines.

The Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has ordered commissioners of police to submit operational guidelines for the security of their areas of jurisdiction during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Ringim directed the CPs to deploy their men appropriately, especially in vulnerable areas and sensitive national installations, in order to prevent the activities of terrorists, bombers, arsonists and kidnappers during the Yuletide.
Addressing senior police officers in Abuja, the IG said, “This period is critical for the police and the nation; there is severe security challenge before us. Terrorism is being perpetrated against the police, other security agencies and civilians in the North-East, and third tier militants are clamouring for amnesty which the government said it would not do.
“In the South-West, armed bandits are robbing banks; there is bunkering and illegal refining of petroleum products and some people are inciting individuals against the nation.
Each state police command had been directed to prepare and submit its operational orders for the season while the Force Headquarters would oversee the one for the nation.
The operational order is a guide detailing the strategies and measures that would be employed to deal with security threats, number of officers that would be involved and the command structure.
The document, which is expected to be submitted to the Force Headquarters on Monday (today), will also contain three key issues – the situation (crime situation or level), mission (goals and objectives) and execution (detailing deployment of men, equipment and the command structure).
The state commands, especially those in the South-West, had been directed to deploy Armoured Personnel Carriers in banks and other vulnerable points to foil attacks.
The FCT Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, said the command would deploy 13,000 men to ensure a robust patrol of Abuja and its environs.
Meanwhile, residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, have engaged in panic buying for the yuletide amid reports that the two major markets in the city would be closed to forestall an alleged bombing plot.
Pamphlets had been circulated indicating that markets, relaxation sportsand worship places would be attacked. A number of bombings rocked Jos on the eve of Christmas last year.
But police in the state on Sunday debunked any plot to bomb the city.
Reports quoted the state’s Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Ayeni, as saying that the rumour was baseless.
“Some people indulge in the act of spreading rumours on security issues in the state. This trend can create panic and unnecessary tension among members of the public.
“The police are urging members of the public to refrain from rumour mongering and should always confirm all issues from the appropriate authorities before spreading them.”
The police commissioner warned that the command would not hesitate to arrest those peddling rumours with the aim of causing confusion.
Ayeni said that the state government had restricted operations of beer parlours, and hotels after 10 p.m. as part of the initiative to checkmate the trend of bomb explosions.
“This is a security strategy to checkmate the activities of the criminals who use such places to plan their criminal operations,” he said.
He advised parents to warn their children and wards from throwing “knock-outs” or other fireworks, reminding them that the ban on their use was still in force.
According to him, the police and other security agencies will arrest and prosecute any person who flouts the order, no matter how highly placed.
Ayeni also said the command had discovered that most of the commercial motorcyclists in the state did not register their motorcycles, pointing out that their operations were aiding criminal activities.