By Tyav Sam Tyav, Makurdi
Police in Benue state, North Central Nigeria, have assured residents and visitors to the state of their commitment to safety of lives and property during and after the Yuletide.
State Commissioner of Police (CP), Steve Yabanet, gave the assurance in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the State Command, Sewuese Catherine Anene.
The CP took the position while briefing senior officers of the command in his office, where he also ordered all Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to ensure that their areas of responsibility are properly secured.
According to the statement, Yabanet also ordered that all entry and exit points in the state are manned by police officers, noting that all officers of the command have been ordered to report on duty throughout the festive period as stop-and-search and patrols have been beefed up to ensure a crime-free Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations for everyone.
The CP also ordered the deployment of personnel to all places of worship, event centres and other crowded areas.
The Police boss counseled residents not to hesitate to notify the police about any event that attracts crowds, so as to enable the police deploy resources for crowd control to avoid stampede and attendant crimes.
He stressed that the ban on sale and unauthorized use of ‘knockouts’ or fireworks was still in force, explaining that use of such firecrackers waa capable of creating panic and enabling criminals to carry out their nefarious activities under cover.
“Parents and guardians are therefore advised to warn thier children/wards to desist from using ‘knockout'”, he stated.
Felicitating the residents on the occasion of Christmas and New Year’s Day festivities, the CP also called on the people to be law abiding and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station or call some listed telephone numbers.
