Attacks on Places of Worship: IGP Places Police on Red-Alert

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered all Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and their Supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police and other Police Formations nationwide to be on red-alert with effect from November 21, 2017.

This is to nip in the bud and prevent the spread of the renewed Boko Haram attacks on soft targets, such as Mosques, Churches, Markets, Schools, Motor Parks, Farm Lands, Settlements, Villages, Towns and Cities in the North East States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

The Commissioners were also directed to quell the recent attacks by armed bandits in Zamfara State and other vulnerable states in the country.

Towards this end, the Police Joint Team has been directed to pay particular attention to the security of IDP Camps and liberated areas in the mentioned States.

The IGP said that while the ongoing Joint Operations between the Police and other Security agencies in states of the North East is being sustained, additional deployment of Police personnel from Police Mobile Force (PMF), the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Police Explosive Ordinance Department (EOD), Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (FCIID) Personnel, Attack and Sniffer Dogs Section have been made to the States of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to bring new impetus to the fight against insurgency by Nigeria Police Force in the affected States.

Idris also said; “The Nigeria Police Force deeply commiserates with the Government and People of Adamawa and Zamfara States over the recent killings in a mosque in Mubi and another attack in Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State and in Shinkafi and Maradun Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.”

The IGP implored the people in the affected States to be vigilant and more security conscious most especially during periods of worship.

Idris advised that a significant number of worshippers should be assigned and rotated to screen and watch over the praying venues to complement Police Personnel deployed to protect them, adding that the worshippers are to promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest Police detachment or station to avert untoward incidents.

He also said; “Furthermore, the Commissioners of Police in the affected States have been redirected to make additional posting of Joint Police Team to patrol mosques and churches and other vulnerable locations on 24 hours bases to ensure that no such attack occur again.

“The Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other Commanding Officers in the Area Commands, Divisions in the towns and villages are under strict instructions to work with the people in the localities and sustain Police Visibility Patrols in the mentioned States.”