The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has cautioned police personnels deployed for the enforcement of the lockdown and social restriction orders against human rights abuse.
Mr Adamu urged the police to ensure that persons on essential duty were duly exempted from the restriction orders. The world is currently in a sober mood as the lockdown will help reduce the risk of the virus.
“Therefore, all police officers deployed for the enforcement of these restriction orders must be professional, humane, and tactful and must show utmost respect for people”.
“The Command Commissioners of Police (CP) are therefore directed to commence monitoring of officers deployed on enforcement duties in their areas of responsibilities. The Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) across the nation are to en¬sure adequate supervision of personnel under their watch, as well as due comply with the Standard Operating Procedure guiding this special task”.
He said: “The AIGs and CPs are also to ensure robust anti-crime patrols and surveillance around vulnerable targets”.
According to Mr Adamu, the vulnerable targets include medical facilities, shops and markets, residential areas, financial institutions and Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
He said that, anti-crime patrols and surveillance would deny criminals the opportunity of taking undue advantage of the current COVID-19.
The IGP expressed profound gratitude to Nigerians for their resilience and voluntary compliance with the social restriction orders and cooperation with the police at all times.
He urged citizens to continue to observe all precautionary instructions issued by health authorities for the country to be able to prevent the spread of the pandemic. The Deputy Commisioner of Police, Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement.
