By Dele Ogbodo
The Police have said that the 496 protesting Shiite members arrested in Kaduna and Abuja, will be prosecuted
under being under the terrorism prevention amendment Act of 2013.
Addressing the Commissioner of Police from across the country on Thursday in Abuja, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris, said there is no doubt that the current security situation requires more efforts, commitment and dedication to sustain the level of peace and tranquillity that has been achieved by the across the country.
He also commended the CPs, the supervisory Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for the level peace in the country, urging them to double their efforts and to do more to reduce crimes and criminalities to the barest nationwide.
He said: “First and foremost, I wish to appreciate and commend you and your personnel for the hard work in ensuring adequate security and safety of all Nigerians in your various jurisdictions, nationwide.
“I hereby call on you to be steadfast and more committed to the protection of lives and property, preservation of law and order, prevention and detection of crimes and criminality throughout the Country.
“The recent crisis in Kaduna and Abuja have been brought under control and normalcy restored, we must fine-tune and strengthen our strategies proactively to prevent such occurrences anywhere in the Country.
“96 suspects arrested by the Police for their active involvement in the crisis that occurred in Kaduna State leading to loss of innocent lives and destruction of public and private properties are being prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others while in FCT.
“Over 400 members of the El-Zazakky Islamic Movement in Nigeria arrested for causing disturbance of public peace and setting ablaze of a Police patrol vehicle, with 31 bottles of petrol bombs and illicit drugs recovered from them are also being prosecuted for acts and offences prohibited under the Terrorism Prevention Amendment Act, 2013.”
The IG said patrol vehicles and equipment have been deployed to support the Kaduna and FCT Police Commands to sustain the peace and normalcy that have been restored.
According to him, much from the police in ensuring security and safety of all Nigerians throughout the country in the coming election, adding that Police will no longer tolerate laxity on the part any Commissioner of police who fails to be proactive in dealing with crisis and other violent crimes in their area of responsibilities.
“We have to up our games of ensuring adequate security throughout the Country from now on to the election and beyond.
“I have set up a Committee headed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations comprising the United Nations Organs, the ECOWAS and the Presidential Committee on Prohibition of small arms and light weapons and other critical stakeholders for the destruction before the 2019 general election of over 10,000 illegal firearms and prohibited weapons and more than 26,000 illegal ammunition recovered in the mop-up operations of illegal firearms and prohibited weapons currently ongoing throughout the Country.”