IGP cautions against torture, intimidation of Nigerians in enforcing coronavirus lockdown

The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, on Thursday cautioned officers and men of the Nigeria Police deployed for enforcement of lockdown and social restriction orders to ensure that the rights of Nigerians are not infringed upon under any pretext. He directed that  persons on essential duties, duly exempted from the restriction orders, should be accorded due courtesies and unfettered access to and fro their places of duty.

The IGP noted that the global community is now in extra-ordinary times, with the lockdown taking its tolls on every component of national life. “Therefore, all police officers deployed for the enforcement of these restriction orders must be professional, humane and tactful and must show utmost respect to the citizenry.

“To this end, the IGP has directed Command Commissioners of Police to immediately commence conduct monitoring of Police Officers deployed on enforcement duties in their areas of responsibilities,” DCP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, declared in a statement on Thursday.

The IGP also charged Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) across the nation to ensure adequate supervision of personnel under their watch, as well as due compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure guiding this special task. “The AIGs and CPs are also to ensure robust anti-crime patrols and surveillance around vulnerable targets such as medical facilities, shops and markets, residential areas, financial institutions and Automated Teller Machines (ATM) points, amongst others so that criminals do not take undue advantage of the current COVID-19 challenge to perpetrate crimes against the citizenry,” Mba further declared.

Meanwhile, 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 measures issued by relevant health authorities in order for the nation to defeat this pandemic.